The Week That Was - 15 August 2025

Welcome to The Week That Was, a round-up of key events in the construction sector over the last seven days.

Asbestos – Contractor is fined for exposure risk

A contractor has been fined almost £10,500, including costs, for putting workers at risk of asbestos exposure.  A1 Property Maintenance Management was the principal contractor during work at the former Unicorn pub, on Liverpool Road in Eccles, Greater Manchester.

During a routine inspection to the site on 16 May 2022, a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector discovered that 12 square metres of asbestos insulating board (AIB) had been present in a dumb waiter lift shaft but had already been illegally removed by unknown individuals.  However, A1 Property Maintenance Management Limited failed to carry out a full asbestos survey to confirm that all asbestos-containing materials had been removed before allowing further construction work to take place.

The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(6) of The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.  It was fined £5,360 and ordered to pay £5,117 in costs at a hearing at Tameside Magistrates’ Court on 30 July 2025.

Read more here.

Mace appointed to £1.1bn British Library redevelopment

Mace has been appointed as construction manager on a £1.1bn redevelopment of the British Library.  Mace will oversee the procurement and delivery phases of the construction. 

The redevelopment will result in a 9,290 square metre extension to the British Library plus 55,742 square metres of commercial facilities.  The commercial space will accommodate labs and offices for the life science sector. This will include new headquarters for The Alan Turing Institute, if a move is agreed.  

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, and it is expected to take six years to complete.  

Read more here.

Cladding training

The Construction Enquirer has reported that the Construction Industry Training Board has awarded 3B Training Ltd a £250,000 contract to deliver a pilot programme across England, Scotland and Wales, to upskill rainscreen façade system installers and supervisors to accelerate remediation works across the country.  

The Government published its Remediation Acceleration Plan in December 2024, in direct response to the findings from the Grenfell Tower inquiry. The plan outlines its ambition to accelerate remediation for buildings with unsafe cladding.  The course will be free to attend, and it is expected that it will begin in early 2026 and run nationwide.

McLaughin & Harvey to construct a new elective surgical centre at Guy's Hospital

McLaughin & Harvey have been appointed to construct an elective surgical centre at Guy's Hospital.  The new eight-storey building, to be built on Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust estate, has been designed by Ryder. 

The project aims to allow orthopaedic survey to move out of Guy's existing main theatres, increasing capacity across the trust. 

The construction is due to begin in summer 2026 and it is expected to be complete by the end of 2028.  The centre aims to open in 2029.

Read more here. 

Buckingham Group Administration Extended to 2027

Buckingham Group initially went under in September 2023 due to losses incurred on three stadium contracts on one earthworks job.  Prior to this, the Group's turnover was c. £665 million. 

The administration is being undertaken by Grant Thornton, who previously stated their intent to apply to extend the administration period by 24 months.  A filing on Companies House shows that the High Court granted permission for the administration period to extend until 4 September 2027. 

Any financial recovery made is expected to be paid to HMRC only, as the Group currently owes £33.8 million in tax.   

Read more here.

With thanks to: Jessica Ventham, Kelly Smith and Kristin Smith

Disclaimer: The information in this publication is for guidance purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.  We attempt to ensure that the content is current as at the date of publication, but we do not guarantee that it remains up to date.  You should seek legal or other professional advice before acting or relying on any of the content.