Daily briefing
National Construction News briefing: Wednesday 11 November 2026
15 stories from the last 24 hours, five dates for the week ahead and four closing dates from our recent stories.
Stories from the last 24 hours
Berwick Bank B turbine deal to support 455 Scottish jobs, SSE says
SSE has named Siemens Energy preferred supplier for turbines and substations on its 1.4GW Berwick Bank B project, with 2,677 UK roles expected, including 200 in Glasgow and 50 new posts at Montrose Port.
Team Derby names five projects for £10m, with three aimed at skills and training
Technical education for 16 to 18-year-olds, a city centre Skills Hub and a craft academy at QUAD are among five projects proposed to share £10m of government funding through the Team Derby partnership.
Ebbsfleet starts dormouse habitat work ahead of 2,100-home town centre scheme
Ebbsfleet Development Corporation has begun creating 2.3 hectares of hazel dormouse habitat at Ebbsfleet Central, where it says construction of the mixed-use town centre is due to start in 2028.
BDP completes RAAC replacement extension at St Kentigern's Academy in West Lothian
The architect has announced completion of the teaching, sports and performance wing built after more than 60% of the West Lothian school was demolished over RAAC, as the council presses the Scottish Government on £15m of funding.
Glenigan cuts 2026 outlook to a 13% fall in starts, with an 11% rebound forecast for 2027
The data firm's Winter 2026 forecast is far weaker than the near-flat year it predicted in June, with private housing starts down 24% and civils down 9%, before public programmes and utilities drive a recovery.
Chippenham's Purpol Marketing takes Gold Stevie in construction technology awards
The Wiltshire marketing consultancy was the only UK winner in the construction and civil engineering technology group of the 2026 Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence, alongside Bentley Systems, Payapps and Beck Technology.
Deeley Group backs Coventry grassroots club Christ the King FC in its 80th anniversary year
The Coventry contractor and developer has been headline supporter of a year of fundraising events for the Coundon club, which runs 33 teams, as the firm marks 90 years in business.
Mabey Hire puts Mates in Mind logo on temporary works equipment and sites
The PERI-owned temporary works hirer has branded its groundworks kit, equipment and sites with the mental health charity's logo, saying it wants to make support more visible and challenge stigma.
BDP-designed £87m surgical centre opens at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton
The Kier-built King's Building brings eight operating theatres, six endoscopy rooms and 22 critical care beds to the Somerset hospital, replacing wartime accommodation after a timetable that slipped from summer 2025.
Stowmarket High School students lay blockwork as £10m expansion reaches watertight stage
Barnes Construction and Concertus marked the topping out of a new two-storey teaching block in Suffolk with students who have followed the build from footings to roof and helped with external blockwork.
Britcon takes under-£500m contractor title at Building Awards 2026
The Scunthorpe-registered build, civils and steel contractor saw off five shortlisted rivals at the London ceremony, a year after Britcon Steel took the Specialist Contractor of the Year award.
Clio takes first fitted suite at Eden as ECF lines up two more fitted suites
Legal software firm Clio has let the Overbury-designed 5,134 sq ft suite at New Bailey that ECF said was the UK's first fit-out to hold SKA V2 Gold, with two further suites due by early 2027.
Salford approves Eccles masterplan with about 1,300 homes over 10 to 15 years
Salford City Council's Cabinet has signed off the Eccles town centre Masterplan Vision drawn up with Muse, with the first residential phase of about 250 affordable homes timetabled for 2028 to 2031.
Lindum and Melfort build polytunnel and accessible path at Kirkby-in-Ashfield veterans' allotment
The contractor and its groundworks partner carried out the work as a SCAPE Community Legacy contribution while building Ashfield District Council's 3,500m² Automated Distribution and Manufacturing Centre nearby.
RAF Leeming handover is first completion under MOD's seven-contractor Strategic Alliance
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation has handed new offices and a 32-bed accommodation block at RAF Leeming to the Air C2 Force, completing the first scheme procured under the 2023 Defence Estate Optimisation alliance contract.
This week
Construction Computing Awards
Takes place on Thursday 12 November.
Housebuilder Awards
Takes place on Thursday 12 November.
APM Project Management Awards
Takes place on Monday 16 November.
SkillBuild National Final
Starts on Wednesday 18 November.
WorldSkills UK National Finals
Starts on Wednesday 18 November.
Closing soon
Largest construction works tenders closing 30 October to 12 November 2026
The consultation closes at 9am on Monday 16 November 2026.
Public-sector buyers have 120 construction works tenders closing on Find a Tender between 6 and 19 November 2026, with the single-contract opportunities among them carrying estimates that add up to £926.8m, according to Cabinet Office open contracting data.
Promoters of rail, tram and harbour schemes in Wales will face a three-month statutory decision deadline on Transport and Works Act applications from 20 November 2026, after the Welsh Government consented to UK regulations rewriting the procedure.
About this briefing
Published on weekday mornings. Every item comes from a story National Construction News has already published and checked against its sources, from dates organisers have published, or from our data trackers. See the events and awards calendar, or get the week's stories by email with the weekly newsletter.