The companies have signed a project development agreement to develop the facility at Rookery South Pit near Stewartby, Bedfordshire, reports Construction News’ sister title Materials Recycling World. The plant will process municipal, commercial and industrial residual waste from the surrounding area. When completed, the facility is expected to generate more than 50 MWe of electricity and will create around 300 jobs during construction, with 40-50 permanent roles including apprenticeships. The project was originally backed by the then Infrastructure Planning Commission nearly five years ago, but two councils and the Waste Recycling Group (now FCC Environment) opposed the scheme. Petitions alleging negative effects on the environment, transport networks and the local community were dismissed in a rare legal move by a special joint committee of the two houses of parliament. In May 2013, Covanta warned it could pull out of the UK unless it found a buyer or a partner for its three sites that had planning consents or permits for EfW facilities, including Rookery South. It blamed the move on a failure to win preferred bidder status on a 30-year municipal contract on Merseyside. The company no longer has any offices in the UK and liaises with Veolia from its US base. A company spokesman said further partnerships were possible for European projects. Veolia and Covanta said their project team will now seek final approvals, complete project financing and engage with key stakeholders and consultees. It is anticipated that construction will start in 2017, with the facility becoming operational in 2020. Covanta senior vice-president and head of corporate development Matthew Mulcahy said: “We are pleased to have found a partner in Veolia that will help us to develop this important growth project. The facility will provide a vital outlet for the sustainable disposal of residual waste and deliver clean, renewable power to the grid.” Veolia UK and Ireland senior executive vice-president Estelle Brachlianoff said: “This project will contribute to increased landfill diversion and will help the UK to meet its carbon reduction commitments. The scheme will also create direct employment and boost the local supply chain.” Source link

The use of drones to carry out building inspections is saving the taxpayer an estimated £100,000 at the Dounreay nuclear site in Caithness. A recent survey suggests more and more construction-related organisations are catching on to the benefits of these camera-equipped remotely operated aircraft. Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd (DSRL), the company in charge of decommissioning the nuclear site, carries out around 50 building inspections each year – helping maintain buildings that play an key role in nuclear decommissioning, clean-up and waste management operations. It was the idea of John Moar, a senior electrical engineer at the site, to look into using drones. Dounreay falls within a strictly enforced air exclusion zone and is protected by armed officers from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. Mr Moar had to do a Civil Aviation Authority course to secure an exemption from the no-fly zone. The first £6,000 drone paid for itself on its first outing to inspect two 20-metre high ventilation stacks. Previously, this work would have needed scaffolding and a hired mobile platform, costing thousands of pounds a week. Mr Moar said: “The team were delighted at the quality and detail of the images and how easy and safe it was to get them. Clearly, there are very strict rules in place to protect the safety and security of nuclear sites, so we had to follow a stringent and detailed process to get all required agreements for using drones at Dounreay. The potential for using drones doesn’t stop here. I can see how we’d use similar technology for things like 3D modelling and environmental surveys.” According to a  survey by ProDroneWorx, a mapping, inspection and surveying company, drones are already quite widely used in the construction but are about to become commonplace. Its survey, Drone Technology within the Construction Industry, found that out of 161 companies that responded, 33% are currently using drone technology and of those that are not, more than two-thirds are planning to do so in future. Of the 33% that are using drones, more than half (60%) have only started doing so in the past year. ProDroneWorx managing director Ian Tansey said: “In a world of tight margins and an increasingly competitive landscape, the use of drone technology gives construction firms a significant competitive advantage over their peers through reduced costs, increased productivity gains and the mitigation of risk.”

The building industry is booming in London now that Sadiq Khan has relaxed rules surrounding housing. As reported by the Guardian, the Mayor of London, plans to build over quarter of a million new homes in the bustling capital’s outer suburbs, which fits in with recent housing movements. In the last year the residential market in London has seen a surprising upturn during the second quarter of the year, and there has also been an increase in the sale of luxury properties. Of course, the new housing won’t be for the rich and affluent; instead the homes are being built with young professionals and families in mind, helping to deal with the housing crisis in the UK. Sadiq Khan said, “I am using all of the powers at my disposal to tackle the housing crisis head on.” Over 250,000 New Homes In London The suburbs are now preparing for a large amount of construction after the Major lifted rules surrounding local character in London. This may be a cause for alarm for some people, but Khan is still prioritizing the environment; the housing plan goes hand in hand with a plan to protect the London Green Belt. The plan is certainly ambitious, but it looks like it will be achieved within the next few years. The new houses will be placed in 13 of the outer suburbs of London, avoiding the city centre which is already heavily crowded. One third of the houses will be built on surprisingly small sites, including in areas where there are unused apartments and shops. Some of the sites are even in used back gardens. Khan created the detailed plan in 2016, and although many critics were initially concerned about the idea many people have now warmed to it. The Need For Building Services Once the houses are built it is extremely important to maintain the properties. Houses can last for hundreds of years if they are properly maintained by professional building services, but if not they can quickly decay and age – and this means that even more money will need to be spent further down the line. For this reason it is important to hire a quality cleaning team who have experience maintaining residential properties. This housing plan is set to be one of the biggest residential builds in the UK in 2017, and it will transform the lives of thousands people who are living in London. It will also create more work for the construction industry and building services, benefiting the community in various ways.