NEWSBRIEF

FEDERATION SEEKS £2BN FROM GOVERNMENT

The National Housing Federation is calling for an additional £2bn to be made available for social housing. The federation made the plea in advance of the Government's forthcoming spending review and called for action to be taken on three fronts. It wants: £500m to be made available for investing in poor housing stock and regeneration; an increase of £1.56bn to meet the growing need for affordable housing; and an increase in grant rates to ensure more affordable rents are available for new social housing.

PIPELINE WORKERS JOIN gmb UNION

The GMB union has set up a special branch to serve operatives in the pipeline industry. GMB official Dennis Pimblett said: "There is a lot of pipeline work coming through over the next two years, especially for Transco. The workers felt they needed the clout of the union to help serve their interests."

TRAFFICMASTER PICKS MARRIOTT

Kier subsidiary Marriott Construction has picked up a £5.9m contract to design and build the new headquarters building for Trafficmaster. The 5,000m2 three-storey office at Cranfield Technology Park in Bedfordshire is due for completion in February 2001. The architect is Carey Jones with Lambert Smith Hampton acting as the project manager. The structural engineer is Scott-White & Hookins and the services engineer is AYH.

STEEL IS TOP FRAME CHOICE

Steel-frames continue to dominate the market in the multi-storey office and high-rise buildings sectors. According to figures released by Corus, steel frames accounted for 71.4% of the multi-storey office market in 1999 - an all-time high. For all types of multi-storey buildings, steel frames were used on 68% of them. Research also showed that insitu concrete's share of the market fell to less than 20% - an all-time low.

MILLER WINS COSTCO CONTRACT

Miller Construction has been awarded a £10m contract to construct a 12,000m2 warehouse for Costco in Gateshead. The fast-track contract has to be undertaken in just 20 weeks for an opening set for 24 August. Miller has already built similar outlets for Costco in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

BALFOUR BEATTY HEADS NORTH

Balfour Beatty has seen off competition from Sir Robert McAlpine and Wates Construction to secure a £4.5m contract to design and build four factories at Peterlee in County Durham for York-based developer Whitehouse Projects.

residents fight housing plan

Residents in a Northumberland village are fighting plans to build luxury homes on its outskirts claiming the development will destroy the character of their community. More than 140 people in Nedderton, near Bedlington, have signed protest petitions or written letters over the move to build 22 executive-style homes on farmland. It is the latest in a number of controversial housing schemes over the past 15 years. A decision on the latest application by Colonia Properties has deferred until councillors can visit the site. A similar housing application on the same site was withdrawn in 1998.

On the move

Swan Hill Homes has made Roger Brennan production director. Laing Homes South West Thames has appointed Rameen Firoozan managing director. Jack Redfern, md of Redfern Building Services is the new northern counties president of the National Federation of Builders.