Mears sharpens housing focus with £18m FM disposal

Mears sharpens housing focus with £18m FM disposal

Mears has sold its education and health facilities management division for £18m as it accelerates its strategic shift towards core housing services. The contractor confirmed the sale of Morrison Facilities Services Limited following a competitive sales process, marking another step in its plan to streamline operations and concentrate exclusively on the housing sector. The transaction was completed on a debt and cash-free basis with a normalised level of working capital. Morrison Facilities Services, which primarily delivered facilities management contracts across education and healthcare settings, generated revenue of £32m and pre-tax profit of £2.8m in the year to 31 December 2025. The business had previously been reported within Mears’ maintenance-led segment. Mears originally acquired the business in 2011 from Anglian Water Group for £24m. The latest disposal reflects a decisive repositioning of the group’s portfolio in response to evolving market conditions and long-term demand dynamics. Chief executive Lucas Critchley said the move represented further progress in simplifying the group’s structure and aligning it with its strategic priorities. He added that the disposal reinforces Mears’ focus on delivering housing services, a market underpinned by strong regulatory drivers and sustained investment requirements. The decision comes at a time when social housing providers and local authorities are facing increasing pressure around compliance, building safety and decarbonisation. These factors are driving significant, long-term demand for maintenance, refurbishment and asset management services across the housing estate. By narrowing its operational focus, Mears is positioning itself to capitalise on these structural growth drivers while reducing exposure to non-core activities. The sale is expected to provide greater clarity to investors regarding the group’s direction and strengthen its ability to allocate capital and management resource towards its core housing operations. The disposal signals a more concentrated and disciplined strategy as Mears seeks to build scale and resilience within the UK housing services market. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Tips for Maximizing Output and Reducing Downtime in Infrastructure Manufacturing

Tips for Maximizing Output and Reducing Downtime in Infrastructure Manufacturing

Building the massive components that support our transportation networks and power grids leaves absolutely zero room for error. If a production line grinds to a halt, the financial hit is hard and fast. A quiet factory floor doesn’t just ruin your daily quota; it stalls active construction sites miles away and triggers brutal contractual fines. Hitting your targets consistently requires a lot more than just telling the floor crew to speed up. You have to actively hunt down the hidden mechanical and physical bottlenecks that are quietly eating away at your margins. Stop Waiting for Things to Break It sounds obvious, but an alarming number of facilities still rely on run-to-failure maintenance. If a critical hydraulic press or automated riveting cell snaps mid-shift, you lose hours waiting for replacement parts. Swapping to a predictive model changes the entire dynamic of the shop floor. By attaching vibration and heat sensors to your heaviest machinery, you get a heads-up weeks before a bearing actually shatters. You fix the issue on a Sunday afternoon when the floor is empty, rather than a Monday morning when fifty people are standing around waiting for the green light. The Physical Toll of Bad Hardware Then there is the physical reality of the crew. Assembling power grid components or rail systems is brutal, repetitive work. If your team is wrestling with heavy, violently vibrating tools all day, their precision inevitably drops by hour six. Fatigue breeds mistakes. Stripped bolts and misaligned joints mean tearing down a nearly finished product, which absolutely wrecks your output metrics. Upgrading the hardware in their hands pays off incredibly fast. Lighter materials, better grips, and active torque control keep workers fresh and focused. A lot of plant managers pull in specialized, connected gear from Atlas Copco ITBA to get that exact mix of ergonomics and industrial-grade power. If the tool fights the operator less, the operator builds more units. Kill Rework at the Source Rework is another massive drain on the clock. Finding a bad connection at the final quality check is the worst-case scenario because you have already invested labor and materials into a flawed unit. The fix here is to build verification directly into the assembly sequence. Modern setups use machine vision and smart controllers to validate every single fastening event the second it happens. If a bolt isn’t seated right, the system flashes red and stops the line until the operator corrects it. You stop passing defects down the line, meaning your final inspection becomes a quick formality rather than a severe bottleneck. Clear the Clutter Look closely at the physical layout of your stations. Clutter kills cycle times. If an operator spends forty-five seconds searching for a specific socket or deciphering a poorly printed schematic, multiply that by a hundred cycles a day. It adds up to hours of dead time. Digitizing work instructions and standardizing exactly where every single peripheral sits removes that hesitation. Eliminate the Daily Drag Pushing your production numbers higher rarely involves a single, sweeping change. It usually comes down to stripping away the daily friction. Give your people better equipment, anticipate your breakdowns before they happen, and stop letting mistakes travel down the line. Do that, and the output takes care of itself.

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What's the Best Turnstile for Your Construction Site? 7 Solutions for Different Security Scenarios

What’s the Best Turnstile for Your Construction Site? 7 Solutions for Different Security Scenarios

Construction job sites present a unique safety challenge. Equipment moves in and out constantly, crews change shifts, and temporary workers or visitors may arrive throughout the day. When you have strong access controls, these conditions are managed rather than creating opportunities for unauthorized entry, theft, and safety risks. Turnstile security systems solve many of these problems by creating controlled entry points that help ensure only credentialed personnel gain admittance to your industrial site. With the right configuration, automated “cheesegraters” also integrate with connected job site management software, RFID badges, and credential readers to support occupancy monitoring and workforce tracking. These solutions highlight how turnstiles and gates work hard to manage different security applications effortlessly. 1. SecureTurn HT431 — Single Full Height Turnstile The SecureTurn HT431 is a purpose-built full height design for rugged environments. Its floor-to-ceiling design helps create a strong physical barrier that deters unauthorized entry while allowing credentialed workers easy and efficient entry. Constructed with American-made steel, the HT431 handles demanding conditions common to construction job sites. It integrates seamlessly with card readers, biometrics, and proximity scanners, so site managers can control passage through a centralized security system, playing to the market trend where 40% of all new turnstiles are smart tech-enabled. The unit also includes the ARC (Automatic Rotational Control) mechanism, which regulates arm movement throughout the entire rotation. Maintaining a consistent rotation speed helps protect users and reduces equipment wear. It comfortably fitsa 31″ passage width for easy worker entry and is durable, making it well-suited for industrial environments. For long-term industrial projects that require reliable access control, the HT431 delivers a durable and efficient entry solution. 2. SecureTurn HT431T — Tandem Full Height Turnstile Large job sites often need multiple lanes to manage worker influx efficiently. The SecureTurn HT431T addresses this challenge by combining two full height turnstiles into a single welded unit. The tandem configuration improves personnel movement. Not to mention, separate entry and exit lanes help prevent congestion and keep crews moving during peak periods. Each rotor includes the ARC mechanism, providing safe operation and long-term reliability. As with the single unit, it integrates seamlessly with credential readers and access control software, automating entry. For busy construction projects with hundreds of workers entering daily, a tandem configuration often provides the most efficient entry control setup. 3. SecureTurn HT431P — Portable Full Height Turnstile Industrial sites rarely stay static, and entry points change as fencing moves and new phases of work begin. The SecureTurn HT431P portable full height turnstile provides a flexible solution for these changing conditions. This system ships fully preassembled on a forklift-ready steel base. Crews can quickly unload the unit from the truck and position it, allowing security teams to establish access control within minutes. The modular design allows additional lanes to be added or removed as job site needs evolve. Portable solutions like the HT431P offer a practical way to secure temporary job sites without permanent infrastructure. 4. SecureTurn HT80 — Aluminum Full Height Turnstile If your project needs full height security but you want an option that is weather-resistant and easier to handle than a heavier steel unit, the SecureTurn HT80 fits nicely into this roundup. It still gives you the controlled, one-person-at-a-time method that helps reduce unauthorized persons, tailgating, and loose perimeter control on active job sites. This option suits contractors that value durable access control at temporary or semipermanent entry points, where installation logistics must be flexible. It also works well when you want a clean, professional entrance that integrates with credential readers and broader control systems. 5. SecureTurn HT439 — Full Height Turnstile With 40″ Passage Standard turnstiles work well for most workers, but some job sites require wider passageways. The SecureTurn HT439 addresses this need with an almost 40″ passage width that provides enough space for personnel carrying toolboxes, equipment, or materials — no more toolbelts hooking when entering or leaving the worksite. Despite the wider opening, the system maintains the security benefits of a full height turnstile. The design still helps deter unauthorized entry while allowing controlled entry through credential readers. The strong perimeter security and compatibility with access control systems make the HT439 an ideal solution for keeping crews moving efficiently without compromising security at the entrance. 6. SecureTurn HT448 — Full Height Turnstile, Extra Wide Passage Some construction environments demand more space at the access point. Workers may arrive with toolboxes, safety equipment, or large gear that makes standard lane widths restrictive. The SecureTurn HT448 addresses that challenge by providing a wider passage while maintaining the strong floor-to-ceiling coverage that full-height turnstiles are known for. This model helps trade teams maintain strict control without slowing down entry during busy periods. The larger opening allows workers with bulky toolboxes and utility bags to move comfortably while still enforcing one-person-at-a-time entry, which discourages tailgating and unauthorized access. It integrates with credential readers, proximity cards, biometrics, and connected job site software platforms, allowing contractors to link physical access points with workforce credentialing systems, attendance tracking, and broader integrated security programs. 7. SecureTurn HT70 — Revolving Door Turnstile With Glass Panels The SecureTurn HT70 offers a unique solution for these environments. Designed with aluminum framing and revolving glass doors, it has the appearance of a revolving door while delivering the controlled, one-person-at-a-time entry of a full height security turnstile. This design enforces access control at sensitive locations such as planning offices, HR departments, and paypoints on-site while preserving the clean architectural look often expected in office-style environments. It’s frequently used in interior entry points where security systems integrate with card readers, biometrics, or other credentialing systems. Comparative Summary of Hayward Construction Turnstile Solutions Access control brings order to the chaos of a shift change and ensures employees clock in as soon as they arrive on the site. With Hayward Turnstiles, your company is compliant and covered. Now you just have to decide which product works best for securing your construction site. Product Dimensions in Inches Materials Extras Included HT431 Passage width: 31″  Overall width: 62.375″ Hot-dip

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Glencar Marks Major Construction Milestone at Oxford University Collections Storage Facility Expansion in Swindon

Glencar Marks Major Construction Milestone at Oxford University Collections Storage Facility Expansion in Swindon

Glencar has marked a key construction milestone at Oxford University’s expanding Collections Storage Facility (CSF) in Swindon with a ceremonial slab pour held on Thursday 5 March. The event brought together representatives from Glencar, Ridge, Bidwells and Oxford University’s Bodleian Libraries team, alongside the workforce delivering the project on site. During the event, Richard Ovenden OBE, Head of Gardens, Libraries and Museums and the Helen Hamlyn Director of the University Libraries, who currently serves as the 25th Bodley’s Librarian at the University of Oxford, delivered remarks highlighting the significance of the development for the long-term preservation of the University’s collections. To commemorate the occasion, Glencar presented Richard Ovenden with a small quantity of ceremonial concrete from the pour, symbolising the foundations being laid for the next phase of the development. The milestone marks significant progress on the expansion of the prestigious storage facility at South Marston, Swindon, commissioned by Oxford University’s Gardens, Libraries and Museums (GLAM). The specialist development represents a major investment in the long-term preservation of Oxford University’s globally significant collections. The project involves the extension of the existing Collections Storage Facility through the construction of a new climate-controlled storage chamber, known as Chamber 5, alongside the development of a Spirit Collection Store (SCS),  a dedicated building designed for the safe storage of zoological specimens. Once complete, the expanded facility will increase storage capacity for the Bodleian Libraries’ vast holdings, which include more than 10 million books and manuscripts, as well as artefacts from the University’s four museums: the Ashmolean Museum, Museum of Natural History, Pitt Rivers Museum and the History of Science Museum. Designed to Passivhaus Classic Standards, the new buildings will achieve exceptional levels of energy efficiency and environmental control,  critical for safeguarding sensitive cultural, scientific and archival materials. The development will also introduce a range of specialist facilities to support the care, research and accessibility of the collections. These include new visitor rooms and washroom facilities, a conservation laboratory and working area for the maintenance of fragile materials, and a photography and digitisation studio to support high-resolution imaging and digital archiving. A secure loading bay designed to accommodate 7.5-tonne vehicles will ensure efficient and protected collection handling, while the new Spirit Collection Store will feature ATEX-rated mechanical and electrical installations and a fume cupboard compliant with DSEAR regulations to safely house zoological specimens. The main storage chamber is being constructed to achieve airtightness of 0.3 air changes per hour, providing the optimal environmental conditions required for long-term preservation. The slab pour milestone follows the groundbreaking ceremony held in July, which marked the start of construction and brought together representatives from across the project team. Delivered over a 69-week programme, construction commenced in April 2025, with practical completion scheduled for August 2026. Glencar is delivering the project as main contractor, working alongside Purcell Architects, Bidwells, Ridge and Price & Myers, in collaboration with colleagues across Oxford University’s Gardens, Libraries and Museums institutions. The development represents a significant advancement in sustainable storage design and reinforces Glencar’s role in supporting the safeguarding of cultural heritage while enabling future academic research and discovery. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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TCC GETS IN BED WITH TRAVELODGE

TCC gets in bed with Travelodge

A new 82-bedroom hotel is taking shape in Greater London, with help from a leading Birmingham-based construction consultancy. The Construction Consultants (TCC) has been appointed to support the development of a new £8.6 million Travelodge in Upminster in the London Borough of Havering. TCC is providing contract administrator and quantity surveying services to the creation of the new hotel in Station Road. It will be Travelodge’s 86th hotel in London, and add to the hotel chain’s portfolio of 600 hotels around the UK. The new hotel will feature 24 family rooms, 49 double rooms with showers and nine wheelchair accessible rooms. The project also includes ground floor retail units along with car parking and landscaping. As contract administrator TCC has the responsibility of acting on behalf of developers Eastern Iron Works Ltd alongside construction manager Stack London Ltd to see the project through to completion. TCC co-founder and director Sandeep Sunner said, “We are delighted to have been appointed to this project which will provide high quality accommodation for business and leisure visitors to the area, contributing to the local economy of Upminster.” TCC has a wealth of experience across public and private sectors including industrial, commercial, retail, leisure, care and residential projects. Headquartered in Bennett’s Hill, TCC is a multi-disciplined consultancy providing specialist project management, quantity-surveying, employers agent, building surveying and health and safety services to a wide range of sectors. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Bouygues UK Celebrates Completion of Tustin Estate Phase 1, Delivering 167 New Homes For Southwark

Bouygues UK Celebrates Completion of Tustin Estate Phase 1, Delivering 167 New Homes For Southwark

Bouygues UK, acting as both developer and contractor, today announces the successful completion of Phase 1 of the Tustin Estate regeneration project in partnership with the London Borough of Southwark. The milestone marks the delivery of 167 high-quality new homes for existing residents, representing a transformative step in the community-led redevelopment of this 1960s housing estate near Old Kent Road. Phase 1, which is 100% replacement affordable homes, forms part of a larger £303million regeneration project that will ultimately deliver 690 homes across the estate by 2030. The completion of this first phase demonstrates Bouygues UK and Southwark’s commitment to resident-focused development and sustainable urban regeneration. A community-led approach to estate regeneration The Tustin Estate redevelopment was mandated through a democratic resident ballot in February 2021, where residents voted in favour of comprehensive estate renewal. This resident-first approach has been central to the project’s success, with the community actively shaping every aspect of the design and delivery through the Tustin Resident Project Group and extensive consultation sessions. “The completion of Phase 1 represents more than just new buildings, it’s the realisation of the residents’ vision for their community,” said Philippe Bernard, CEO and Chair at Bouygues UK. “Working as both developer and contractor has allowed us to maintain our commitment to quality, sustainability, and community engagement throughout every stage of this project. We’re incredibly proud to have delivered these homes in partnership with Southwark Council and, most importantly, the Tustin Estate community.”  Sustainable design and quality housing The completed Phase 1 homes are spread across three sites on the estate and have been designed by award-winning architects dRMM, in collaboration with Adam Khan Architects and JA Projects. The development prioritises sustainability and quality of life, featuring: The wider masterplan targets a 94% reduction in carbon emissions when in use, reflecting both Bouygues UK and Southwark Council’s commitment to environmental sustainability. Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development, said: “This is a proud moment for the Tustin community and for Southwark. These first new homes are more than bricks and mortar – they represent security, opportunity and a fresh start for the families who are moving in. We worked closely with residents every step of the way, and their ideas have helped shape a neighbourhood that is greener, safer and built to last. Delivering 167 new council homes in this first phase shows the scale of our ambition. We are determined to keep building the high quality, affordable homes that people in our borough deserve.” Resident voices at the heart of Tustin Estate Development The success of Phase 1 has been built on genuine partnership with the Tustin Estate community. Residents have participated in weekly drop-in sessions, design workshops, and monthly project updates throughout the development process, ensuring their voices shaped the final outcome of their new homes. Andrew Eke, a Tustin Estate resident and Chair of Tustin Community Association, said: “The completion of Phase 1 reflects the strength of residents, the council, and the developer working together with trust, respect, and a shared purpose. This milestone has delivered the high quality homes our community deserves and reinforces our collective commitment to transforming the Tustin Estate into the vibrant, welcoming estate we all envision” The project team worked with community engagement specialists Urban Symbotics to ensure inclusive consultation, reaching younger residents, older residents, and all demographics across the estate. This approach resulted in the Tustin Estate Residents’ Manifesto, which has guided decision-making throughout the project. Lee, who is due to move into his new flat this week said ‘This new home will be life-changing for me and my wife. She is a wheelchair user and she can now finally have some independence and she is able to start cooking again.’ Phase 1 of this project has also seen community days as a focus to bring together everyone living on the estate and the teams involved in transforming it. The Tustin Estate regeneration project represents a significant investment in South London’s future, combining quality housing delivery with meaningful community engagement and environmental sustainability. David Banfield, Senior Project Manager at Pulse Consult, which led the project planning and programming for Phase 1 and will continue to work on the remaining phases, said: “From the outset, this project has been built on collaboration with the community and a real understanding of their needs. We’ve put clear workflows and processes in place to keep work moving efficiently, while remaining flexible to adapt as needed, always with the end users in mind. Consistent communication has been key – within project teams, the council, and most importantly the local community – ensuring everyone stays informed and engaged. This reflects a standard approach at Pulse: combining strong planning with proactive collaboration to deliver outcomes that truly meet the needs of those who will use them.” Future phases of Tustin Estate With Phase 1 now complete, work continues on subsequent phases of the Tustin Estate regeneration. Phase 2, with Bouygues UK as Developer and Contractor, will deliver 284 homes and is currently progressing through the planning process. The completed estate will include: A model for estate regeneration The Tustin Estate project was the first large-scale development procured through Pagabo’s Developer Led Framework, establishing a precedent for efficient, community-focused estate regeneration. Jonathan Parker, Head of Construction at Pagabo, commented: “It would be difficult to find a better large-scale scheme than that of Tustin Estate to be the first procured through our Developer Led Framework. Connecting Bouygues UK with the London Borough of Southwark is set to create social and economic value for the local community following a fair and competitive tender process – ensuring the best outcomes for all involved.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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