Balfour Beatty has been awarded a pre-construction services agreement by Wanda One to act as the main contractor for the delivery of the One Nine Elms development.

Balfour Beatty and Wanda One will now work together to agree the details of the final contract award which is expected by the end of the year.

Tim Gawthorn, director at Wanda One (UK) told property website CoStar: “We are pleased to announce the arrangement of financing for One Nine Elms, which will support the successful delivery of this important mixed-use development.

“On completion, One Nine Elms will bring high quality residential apartments, a 5 star Wanda Vista hotel, world-class amenities and public spaces for the community to enjoy.

“Further to this announcement, we can confirm the PCSA agreement has been signed with Balfour Beatty, which marks another important milestone in the delivery of One Nine Elms, we are delighted to be working with Balfour Beatty on One Nine Elms and the delivery of this iconic London development.”

Dean Banks, managing director at Balfour Beatty’s UK Construction Services business said: “We are pleased to be awarded the pre-construction services agreement for One Nine Elms and to be partnering with Wanda One to get this fantastic project underway.

“This reflects the depth and breadth of experience we have in this sector and builds on the success of similar projects across London.”

Lovell has been chosen to deliver a £7.4 million housing redevelopment programme for housing association, Greenfields Community Housing, who are based in Braintree, Essex.

The scheme will see the demolition of 40 unsustainable 1950s concrete-framed Unity homes in Kelvedon, Essex, which will be replaced with 64 modern houses and flats in Church Road, Croft Road and Thorne Road.

The redevelopment work, set to start this autumn, will create 36 houses, 27 flats and one bungalow, with the first new homes set to be handed over in spring 2017.

Five of the homes will be available on a shared ownership basis, with the rest being available for affordable rent.

Andy Allocca, new business and project manager at Greenfields, says: “Helping to create and maintain thriving communities is at the heart of what we do. These properties will last for generations to come, and I look forward to handing the residents the keys to their new homes.”

Unity properties are system-built homes of non-traditional construction with a concrete frame and cladding, which were built in the post-war perio

Hard to insulate and heat, they are prone to damp and condensation. Lovell’s experience in redeveloping Unity houses includes an ongoing £13.6 million scheme for Orbit Homes in Suffolk, which will provide 164 new homes.

Balfour Beatty has been awarded a £170 million contract to upgrade baggage screening and handling systems for Heathrow Airport Limited.

The project, which has been awarded through the Heathrow Airport Limited Delivery Integrator Framework to which Balfour Beatty was appointed in 2014, will involve upgrading and installing baggage screening and handling systems at Heathrow’s eastern baggage facility.

The Company will utilise its technological expertise across the project including the latest Building Information Modelling techniques to define the most efficient approach to design, manage logistics and to interface with live airport operations.

Leo Quinn, Balfour Beatty Group Chief Executive, said: “This contract award is testament to the strength of the partnership we have developed with Heathrow Airport Limited over the last 17 years.

“The UK aviation sector is a core market for Balfour Beatty and we are delighted to play our part in helping Heathrow maintain its position as a leading travel hub and supporting local employment.”

The crucial elements of stability and a long-term outlook are needed in order for the UK’s onshore wind sector to realise its full potential, according to the CBI.

Speaking at the Scottish Renewables Onshore Wind Conference, Rhian Kelly, Business Environment Director at Britain’s largest business group, highlighted the pivotal role of onshore wind in the UK’s wider energy mix.

On the role of onshore wind in the UK energy mix, Rhian Kelly, CBI Business Environment Director, said: “Having steadily grown in capacity, onshore wind now meets over 5% of the UK’s energy needs, saving almost 15 million tonnes of carbon each year.

“It can support our objectives of decarbonisation, affordability and security of supply as part of a diverse and balanced energy mix across the UK.

“We need to ensure that low-carbon investment is affordable for both households and businesses. And this is where onshore wind plays an absolutely pivotal role.

“It is all too easy to forget that the UK is still one of the world’s leading wind energy markets, with the onshore industry adding over £900 million to the economy last year. This is something that we should be shouting about and looking to build upon.”

Lindsay Roberts, Senior Policy Manager for Scottish Renewables, said: “Renewables are now Scotland’s largest generator of electricity, with onshore wind making up the lion’s share of output.

“There is plenty of scope for further growth – which would be good for the environment and for consumers – but only if government is prepared to create a level playing field and allow onshore wind to compete for long term contracts for power for clean electricity, along with other renewables and nuclear power.”

Transport for London (TfL) has awarded a contract to deliver step-free access at three stations as part of major station improvements ahead of Elizabeth line services commencing in December 2018.

The station improvements will include new lifts, walkways and footbridges to Seven Kings and Manor Park stations.

The upgrade of these stations is part of TfL’s work on the eastern section of the new Elizabeth line route between Liverpool Street and Shenfield.

This work will ensure that the network is accessible for all when it is fully operational, linking east London and Essex with the West End, west London and Berkshire.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m determined to make London a fairer city, open and accessible to all, and one where we improve the support for those less able to get around London.

“My team are working on a more ambitious approach to improving step-free access in our stations, and I am very pleased that passengers using Maryland, Manor Park or Seven Kings are going to benefit from major improvements to their stations ahead of the launch of the new Elizabeth line services.”

Emily Ball, TfL’s Accessibility and Station Upgrade Manager, said: “These works mark the next stage of the ongoing TfL station improvements programme that will transform stations on the Elizabeth line route.

“Once these works are complete, customers using Maryland, Manor Park and Seven Kings will enjoy step-free access and new station facilities.”

Major Network Rail work to upgrade stations and track is also ongoing at stations along the TfL Rail route to prepare the existing railway for the Elizabeth line.

Willmott Dixon has added to its £350 million of projects in the universities sector by being appointed by Swansea University for the preconstruction stage of its world-class computer science facility.

The £31 million Computational Foundry at the university’s new Bay Campus will become a beacon for research collaborations, attracting leading academics from around the world.

It will build on Swansea’s existing achievements of being the top ranked university in Wales for the quality of its Computer Science research by the Research Excellence Framework.

Facilities include space for over 150 researchers in laboratories that support industrial proof-of concept and prototyping work, stimulating commercial opportunities, entrepreneurship and job creation.

Backed by a £17 milllion from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), it will also feature world-leading experimental set-ups, equipment, devices and prototypes to accelerate innovation. The building will be operational and welcome staff and students from September 2018.

Neal Stephens, managing director at Willmott Dixon construction in Wales and the West: “ We’re looking forward to delivering an outstanding research and teaching facility that will benefit the university and Swansea City Region for generations to come.”

Power generator SSE has taken a final investment decision to proceed with the Ferrybridge Multifuel 2 (FM2) project in West Yorkshire, with construction expected to begin later this year.

The completed plant will be able to generate around 70MW of electricity, enough to power around 170,000 homes.

FM2 is expected to bring similar benefits to the local area as FM1, including in excess of 500 construction jobs during the three year build, a number of contract opportunities and an estimated £10 million of additional economic benefits to the local economy, through spending in restaurants, hotels and local businesses.

An EPC contract has now been signed with Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI), a Swiss headquartered company who are a market leader in building energy from waste projects, who were also the main EPC contractor on the neighbouring FM1 plant.

Charlie Cryans, Head of Construction for SSE said: “SSE’s decision to take the FM2 project through to construction is positive for our businesses, but also represents a £360 million investment, which will provide a range of benefits for the local area which we have a long association with.

“We will be holding a Meet the Buyer event in the coming weeks which will provide local businesses and suppliers with the opportunity to meet the main contractor for the project, and pitch their products and services.”

Morgan Sindall has been appointed to construct a £2.5 million depot for Western Power Distribution in Bude.

The firm is already on-site constructing the new depot, which will be used to accommodate office staff and house equipment at the industrial estate in Stratton Business Park.

The two-storey building will comprise open-plan office space, individual work areas and a spacious workshop. It will also include an induction room, wash-down area and a drying room.

During the six month project, the Morgan Sindall project team will also create a fuel storage facility and a modern canteen within the depot.

The building will be completed in winter 2016 and will be fitted with solar panels to generate sustainable electricity and a water attenuation tank to store water and prevent flooding. The project is targeting a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) rating of excellent.

Richard Hallt, area manager at Morgan Sindall, said: “We’re so pleased to be creating a sustainable and modern working environment for staff at Western Power Distribution in Bude. The depot will provide office staff with a Grade A workspace as well as secure areas to store equipment.

“As a company, Morgan Sindall is committed to delivering projects with sustainable best practice at their core and we look forward to handing over the new depot to Western Power Distribution in due course.”

Plans to transform cancer care across Merseyside and Cheshire by developing a major new specialist hospital in the heart of Liverpool have been given the go-ahead.

The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust has been granted full planning permission for the 11-floor hospital on West Derby Street as part of its £157 million investment in expanding and improving cancer care.

Preparatory construction work is expected to start on site later this year, with the new hospital opening to patients by the end of 2019.

Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet member for regeneration, Councillor Malcolm Kennedy, said: “This is a landmark development which will not only create a first-class new building in this part of the city, but will lead to major improvements in the delivery of services for cancer patients from across the region.

“The health campus will be a world-class facility that the whole city can be tremendously proud of and will continue Liverpool’s long tradition of innovation in the fields of medicine and health.”

The hospital has been designed by the same award-winning architectural team at BDP that created the new Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

The cost of the new hospital will be funded by the NHS and is not a private finance initiative.

The funding is coming from a combination of The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre’s own reserves, NHS commissioners, some borrowing from government sources and a public fundraising appeal.

Keepmoat has been granted planning permission to build 100 new homes in Kinsley, Wakefield, paving the way for economic growth and new jobs.

The firm, which recently expanded in the region with the launch of an office in Leeds, has now secured three major projects in as many months, with work on brownfield developments across Leeds, as well as the Seacroft Hospital site already in the pipeline.

Keepmoat will now deliver two and three bedroom homes at land off Spring Close; prompted by the success of existing schemes at Fitzwilliam and Frickley.

Keepmoat’s Kinsley development is the latest in the Wakefield district involving a ‘stalled site’ – land which had previously had planning permission but remained undeveloped.

Wakefield Council launched its ‘Wakefield Builds’ campaign which aims to increase the number of new homes built across the district through schemes such as matching developers with stalled sites such as the one in Kinsley.

Councillor Denise Jeffery, Wakefield Council’s Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth and Skills, said: “We are committed to stimulating housing growth across the district, and Keepmoat’s development is a prime example of this.

“Not only will the development lead to even more quality homes being built in the area, but it also demonstrates how developers can work with our ‘Wakefield Builds’ campaign to unlock stalled sites.”

Building work on the new homes is expected to progress in November this year.