News | Page 25

Heathrow Airport has announced some very ambitious development plans, which will see more than 100,000 new UK jobs being created and at least £100bn of UK economic benefits. The expansion plans will be submitted to the Airports Commission, with the submission following discussions with local residents and businesses, the public, businesses around the country, passengers, airlines and elected representatives across the UK’s nations and regions, a news report on the matter could reveal.

Absence is one of the most common reasons for employees failing a probation period, accounting for half (50%) of all failures, second only to poor performance (62%), a recent survey has revealed. Research from Spring Personnel has also revealed that close to 18% of workers have had their probation period extended or they failed it altogether, while only one in five businesses (21%) never extend a candidate’s probation period.

The UK housing industry continued its fast-rising trend over the first three months of 2014, with 33,816 new homes being registered in the UK during Q1 2014, compared to 31,739 for the corresponding period a year ago – an increase of 7%, figures released by the NHBC have recently revealed.

The next British government should commit to a large-scale house-building programme in order to avoid a very serious housing crisis, a report by KPMG and Shelter has argued. The report points out that the UK, as a country, it is building just less than half of the 250,000 new homes a year needed to keep up with demand.

Construction services company Balfour Beatty has revealed plans to provide 10 construction students in Beverley with an opportunity to get into the construction industry during a project to build the town’s new £22m Southern Relief Road.

A major UK construction company has managed to scoop a new contract for building an £11m mixed tenure housing development at the former Brentry Hospital site in Bristol. As part of this deal, construction experts Lovell will build 79 high-quality houses and apartments on the five-acre site on Brentry Lane with construction set to start in summer 2014, a news report in the local media can reveal.

A major UK-based construction company has revealed plans to create up to 1,500 jobs around the country, in order to meet the increased demand brought about by all the new contracts it has managed to win.

Mobile technologies are as important for a running a business in a proper manner as a proper supply of electricity, gas and water, a recent market research study can reveal.

The level of activity in the construction sector is set to record an 18% growth by 2017, the Construction Products Association (CPA) has forecast within their latest report. The main drivers behind this significant surge in activity will be private house building, together with growth in the infrastructure and commercial sectors, a news report on the matter can reveal.

A new joint venture company called Matrix Homes has been set up in Manchester with the clear purpose of bolstering house building in the area, a news report in the local business media can reveal. Matrix Homes will join a partnership between Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) in an effort to develop Manchester’s pioneering housing investment model.

Research was carried out by social enterprise MyKindaCrowd revealed that almost a third of young people aged 12 to 25 would seriously consider engineering as a potential career, despite quite a few having misleading information regarding the exact nature of the profession. As a news report on the matter has revealed, over a third of respondents (34%) associated engineering with physical labour, and 87% saw the car industry as the main reference point for the industry.

A housing association will build 485 homes for private rent across 4 sites in London and Chelmsford, as part of the Government’s £1 billion Build to Rent scheme, an official statement by Housing Minister Kris Hopkins has revealed. Genesis Housing Association will receive £45.5 million to build the new 1, 2, and 3-bedroom properties.