Conlon Construction and Cassidy + Ashton complete £19m Lancaster University Management School transformation
Conlon Construction and Cassidy + Ashton have completed the £19m refurbishment of the East Estate at Lancaster University Management School (LUMS), delivering a fully reconfigured 6,778 sqm, four-storey academic building within a live campus environment. The scheme comprised a full internal strip-out of the existing 1970s structure, including removal of partitions, finishes and all mechanical and electrical services, followed by a complete reconfiguration of the building to deliver modern teaching, research and collaboration spaces, designed by principal architect, Cassidy + Ashton. The completed facility provides new and upgraded seminar and teaching rooms, meeting spaces, breakout and informal study areas, and specialist facilities including a Bloomberg Suite, prayer rooms, café and staff lounge. A new glazed link corridor has also been delivered, connecting the East Estate to the University Spine and West Pavilion, requiring structural alterations and façade modifications. Acting as main contractor, Conlon delivered the works within a constrained live campus environment using a single-point logistics access route, with phased delivery across four floors and multiple concurrent workfaces. Fire-rated hoarding and controlled pedestrian routes were installed throughout to maintain safe segregation between construction areas and university operations. The project involved full replacement and integration of building services, including mechanical and electrical systems, ventilation distribution and electrical infrastructure, alongside connection into Lancaster University’s district heating network. Externally, the building was upgraded with replacement roof coverings, façade repairs, masonry works and new energy-efficient glazing. Internally, the building was fully refurbished with new partitions, acoustic treatments, flooring, ceilings, and doors, alongside installation of a new passenger lift and improved accessibility routes. The refurbishment has created a carbon saving of more than 80 per cent compared to an equivalent new build. This, combined with revised design principles that allow more effective uses of space, has led to an estimated saving of more than 4,700 tonnes of carbon expenditure, equivalent to the carbon produced by more than 400 homes in a year. The scheme was also delivered in line with Conlon Construction’s social value commitments, with a focus on apprenticeships and the use of local labour wherever possible. Guy Parker, managing director and chair of Conlon Construction, said: “It’s fantastic to deliver a project once again with our long-standing partners Cassidy + Ashton, who we have previously worked with on the recent completion of GVS Filter Technology UK’s HQ in Lancaster, as well as a number of education schemes across the region. “This is Conlon’s biggest education scheme to date, making it a special milestone for the business, and it’s particularly rewarding to see it deliver high-quality facilities that will directly support students and young people in our home of Lancashire.” Lawrence McBurney, director and architect at Cassidy + Ashton, said: “We are delighted to see the successful completion of the £19 million refurbishment of Lancaster University Management School, a project that reinforces the University’s position as one of the UK’s leading destinations for business and management education. “Working closely with Lancaster University, Conlon Construction and the wider project team, we have transformed the building into a contemporary, flexible and highly sustainable learning environment that reflects the School’s global reputation for excellence. The refurbished spaces will support world-class teaching, research and collaboration, while enhancing the experience of students, staff and visitors. “We are proud to have helped deliver a facility that matches the ambition, prestige and future vision of Lancaster University Management School.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
CBRE appointed to sell Birmingham’s Old Stock Exchange
The office agency team at leading commercial real estate firm, CBRE, has been appointed to sell the Old Stock Exchange building, located in the heart of Birmingham’s commercial district. Comprising six storeys and a basement, the 26,065 sq ft, self-contained office building is currently vacant and is offered with immediate possession. Featuring flexible and adaptable open plan floorplates, the building could be repositioned into an office, hotel or educational space, already holding use class E and F1(a) Education Planning Consent. Built in 1928, the building was the centre of Birmingham’s stockbroking for almost 60 years, before it was refurbished into offices. The building has retained its heritage with period features throughout, including oak panelled rooms, a feature staircase, and the original banking room. Located in the Colmore Business District, one of the city’s most established business areas, the Old Stock Exchange has a number of amenities, including restaurants, bars and hotels on its doorstep. The location is also under a 10-minute walk to both Birmingham Snow Hill and Birmingham New Street train stations, where trains to Birmingham Airport take approximately 12 minutes, giving it great connectivity across the UK and beyond. Theo Holmes,head of office agency in the Midlands at CBRE, said: “The Birmingham office market is seeing high demand, with take up in Q1 up 45% on the same period last year. There is a particular focus on Grade A office space, and the Old Stock Exchange is one of the few buildings in the traditional core at this size available freehold. Appealing to a variety of future uses, the buildings flexible open plan layout allowing buyers to tailor the space to their needs, while its heritage and period features lend character, charm and gravitas. “Birmingham is an extremely promising investment opportunity, with a host of regeneration projects announced or underway. The Old Stock Exchange benefits from being within spitting distance of both Central Heart, a vibrant new neighbourhood, and the high-speed rail network, HS2. With top quality space in short supply, we’re expecting a surge of interest on this rare opportunity in Birmingham’s City Centre.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
MP warns of “Clear Systematic Failure” as more than £21 Million lost to Rogue Builders in Harrogate and Knaresborough
Homeowners in Harrogate and Knaresborough have lost more than £21 million to rogue builders, according to research by the FMB (Federation of Master Builders). Local MP Tom Gordon warns there is a “clear systematic failure of the system” to protect people from cowboy builders. The figures put losses in Harrogate and Knaresborough at £21,461,115, with those affected losing an average of £1,944 each. Across Yorkshire and the Humber, the total is more than £1.1 billion. More than two in five people in the region (42%) say they have hired a builder who turned out to be unqualified or unlicensed. One in five (20%) have been put off having building work done at all because they couldn’t find a builder they trusted and two thirds (66%) say mandatory licensing of builders would increase their confidence. Mr Gordon set out the scale of the problem in his own casework on the latest episode of the FMB’s Build Up from the Basement podcast. Speaking on the podcast, Mr Gordon MP said: “Originally you get one email in and you think, oh, it’s probably a one-off. Then you get the second one and the third and the fourth, and before you know it there’s a clear systematic failure of the system here to actually protect people. “What we’re seeing with some of the people in the industry is that they are completely exploiting people, and ruining people’s lives as well. That’s what it comes down to. “Parliament hasn’t really got a grip of this. The local authorities and the councils who should be regulating and looking at planning and enforcement aren’t doing their jobs. There’s a massive gap that people are falling through.” The MP, who has campaigned on incorrectly installed spray foam insulation since leading a Parliamentary debate on it in December 2024, described one constituent in Knaresborough now effectively living in her garage because her house is covered in mould and damp. “People who cannot escape this are thinking about it 24/7. It can be absolutely catastrophic for people’s mental health. You can physically see that they’re tense, that they’re stressed, that they’re not sleeping.” He went on to criticise the current regulatory protection landscape for consumers, describing it as “quite toothless” with “ineffective organisations”. On licensing small building companies, Mr Gordon said he was open to it: “I’m really flexible about who takes up that responsibility. I think there’s definitely a space there where it could be the likes of the FMB. But it needs to be easily accessible to the consumer. If you invest upfront in enforcement, what you get back down the line in savings makes a better system for everyone. “My frustration is that quite often when it comes to legislation, we like to reinvent the wheel. There are great examples already from devolved nations, or various other countries around the world, where we can take inspiration from what they do.” Carolyn Frank, Director of FMB North, added: “£21 million lost in one constituency, and £1.1 billion across Yorkshire, is the price homeowners are paying for an industry that anyone can walk into with no checks whatsoever. “What worries me just as much is the one in five people here who’ve been put off having work done altogether because they can’t find a builder they trust. That’s money not being spent with the good local firms in Harrogate and Knaresborough who do the job properly, employ local people and stand behind their work. “Our members are vetted and inspected before they join. A Licence to Build would extend that basic protection to every homeowner in Yorkshire, and it’s encouraging to hear an MP dealing with this casework every week reach the same conclusion.” FMB CEO Brian Berry concluded: “It’s a national scandal that anyone can call themselves a builder and start work on someone’s home with no qualifications, no checks and no accountability. £21 million lost in Harrogate and Knaresborough alone is what that failure costs – but there is also the emotional and mental stress that each victim goes through too after being affected by a rogue builder. “A Licence to Build would help protect both homeowners and reputable builders and we are delighted to have Tom Gordon MP’s support on this. Hearing how his casework every week has reached the same conclusion – with no resolution for victims – proves that the Government needs to act.” The podcast can be watched on Youtube Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
GB Bank provides £20.5m structured funding facility to support acquisition of 214-unit residential portfolio
GB Bank has provided a £20.5m structured funding facility to support a specialist funding partner in the acquisition of a 214-unit residential portfolio in the North West. Working closely with the funding partner, GB Bank established a bespoke structure designed to support the transaction while meeting the commercial objectives of all parties. The facility was structured at 75% LTV with an agreed exit strategy involving the division of the portfolio across four SPVs to facilitate a flexible refinance, while supporting the ongoing management of the portfolio. The transaction also involved a detailed assessment of the portfolio’s rental income, with all 214 properties fully occupied at completion and generating immediate income. Alongside this, GB Bank considered the borrower’s wider financial position, including personal liquidity and surplus rental income, as part of its underwriting process. The transaction highlights GB Bank’s ability to work alongside partners by providing tailored solutions that support larger and more complex property transactions. Working in partnership with the funding partner, GB Bank structured a funding solution that supported the underlying bridging facility whilst ensuring valuation, credit and completion requirements were met. Hardik Gogia, Relationship Manager at GB Bank commented: “As specialist lending continues to evolve, lenders increasingly require funding partners that can provide flexible capital solutions for larger and more complex transactions. “This transaction demonstrates our ability to work alongside specialist lenders, providing tailored funding solutions that enable them to deliver complex bridging transactions with confidence. By combining commercial thinking with responsive decision-making, we’re able to support lending partners on opportunities that require a more bespoke approach. “Our structured funding capability is designed to complement the expertise of specialist lenders, giving them confidence that they have a responsive funding partner capable of supporting complex transactions without compromising on speed or service.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
UK Construction teams lose eight working weeks a year searching for project information
Poor project data is becoming a significant productivity challenge for UK construction, with teams losing the equivalent of more than eight working weeks a year searching for fragmented information.1 New data from a survey of construction professionals by Procore and Dodge Construction Network found that alongside searching for information, 28% of project time on average is lost to rework – partly down to a lack of real-time visibility and teams working from outdated documentation and drawings, leading to issues further down the project lifecycle. Often, financial and project data is spread across multiple unlinked systems, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platforms, Building Information Modelling (BIM) platforms, function-specific software solutions, email chains, spreadsheets, site records, and outdated drawings. As a result of these productivity drains, as much as a quarter of project value (25%) is lost through disconnected delivery. Recent reporting from RICS also identifies documentation, scheduling and coordination, and changes and variations as some of the biggest barriers to productivity across the UK construction sector – all of which are impacted by project data. “Construction is under constant pressure to deliver more with fewer people, tighter programmes and increasing complexity. Yet too much time is still spent searching for information instead of making decisions,” said Brett King, Director of Industry Transformation, EMEA, Procore. “The real opportunity is to connect everyone involved in a project, from the boardroom to the site, through the same live project information. When leaders and project teams have the same visibility, communication improves, decisions are made faster and issues can be addressed before they become costly problems. It’s not just about connecting data. It’s about connecting people.” The research suggests that tackling fragmented project information can significantly reduce many of these issues. Respondents using a Connected Data Environment (CDE), which brings project information together in a single system, reported better collaboration between office and site teams. As a result, 92% of construction teams reported improved data accuracy, while the same proportion said miscommunication errors had fallen. The findings suggest that the biggest gains come not just from digitising information, but from giving every project team access to the same reliable data and a more consistent way of working. Nearly half (49%) of construction teams said they reduced the cost of additional work that couldn’t be billed because of poor documentation or delayed approvals by between 21% and 30% after implementing a CDE. Respondents also reported improvements in day-to-day project delivery. Nearly all (97%) said project data was more visible and actionable, while 92% reported spending less time on manual administration and data reconciliation, enabling faster decision making and reducing the need for duplicate work. Those efficiencies also led to additional capacity being made available. More than half (57%) of respondents said they were able to manage between 21% and 30% more construction work without increasing headcount. About the research This report is based on survey data commissioned by Procore and collected by Dodge Data & Analytics from 688 construction professionals across the UK and Ireland – including Main Contractors, owners, and subcontractors. The study was conducted to investigate the return on investment that clients and contractors experience from their use of construction management software. 1 – Construction professionals surveyed by Procore and Dodge estimated that 18% of project time is lost searching for data. Assuming an average of 240 days per year are spent working, and a five-day working week, this is the equivalent to 43 working days, or 8.6 working weeks per year. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
United Infrastructure Marks Landmark Year with Strong Financial Performance and Strategic Acquisitions
The United Infrastructure Group are pleased to announce the financial results for United Infrastructure Group for the year ended 31 March 2026. The United Infrastructure Group operates in the support services sector, providing essential services to the owners and operators of UK critical utility and social infrastructure assets. The audited consolidated financial statements reflect the performance of the Group for the period to 31 March 2026, with comparative information presented for the year ended 31 March 2025. Financial Highlights Operational Highlights The Group was selected by Liverpool Bay CCS Limited (LBCCS), part of global energy‑tech company Eni, as a key delivery partner for the onshore pipeline element of the UK’s first large‑scale carbon capture and storage programme, with a value of £250m. The Group’s largest project to date is underway in the Scottish Highlands in partnership with SSEN, supporting major upgrades to grid capability with combined value of £236m+ and a particularly strong order book in the Scotland region. The Water business continued to grow, with a client portfolio now including Yorkshire Water, Northumbrian Water Group, Affinity Water, Thames Water, Southern Water, United Utilities, among others with combined contract values of £171m+. The Connected business (Telecoms) secured a nationwide maintenance contract with Cornerstone, across 16,000 sites nationwide, including Northern Ireland, Scottish Highlands and Islands alongside projects with Telefonica, Cellnex and Virgin Media with combined contract value of £391m+. The Social Infrastructure division of the business secured a multi-year Major Works contract, worth £364m, with The Guinness Partnership to renew and maintain 20,000 homes across the Northwest. This part of the business saw a secured order book of £800m+ with additional substantial wins with Haringey and Havering councils. The business continues to maintain long-standing relationships with public sector clients across London, Midlands and the North, with especially large programmes of work in Wolverhampton through a major regeneration scheme. Acquisitions New Homes (MBO) In March 2026, the management buy-out (MBO) of the Group’s New Homes business was completed. This followed the announcement, made early in the financial year, that the Group was winding down the New Homes business and would no longer be taking on new work in this space. The decision was part of the Group’s strategic shift towards the rapidly growing opportunities in decarbonisation, energy transition, digitalisation, and the wider UK utility and social infrastructure sectors. Neil Armstrong, CEO at United Infrastructure comments: “We’re thrilled to report a record year of performance for United Infrastructure, with a robust cash position and a growing secured order book that reflects the confidence our clients place in us. “The long-term drivers across our markets – decarbonisation, resilience, digital connectivity and modernisation of essential infrastructure, continue to accelerate, creating sustained demand for the services we are built to deliver. “Our recent strategic acquisitions have further strengthened our capabilities across power, water, engineering and emerging sectors such as data centres, enhancing the value we bring to clients navigating the UK’s energy transition.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals