The Week That Was - 27 February 2026

Welcome to the week that was, a round-up of key events in the construction sector over the last seven days.

GRAHAM appointed to build forensics facility

GRAHAM has secured a £69.7m appointment to deliver a new forensic facility for the Department of Justice in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland.  The scheme, known as Project Atlas, will provide 10,400 sq. meters of new office and laboratory space for Forensic Science Northern Ireland.  Work will involve the construction of a three-story building alongside ancillary buildings.  GRAHAM out-performed four other bidders for the contract and Hamilton Architects have now been appointed as project architect.  Work is planned to start at the end of the 2025/26 financial year, following an initial six-month detailed design period. Commenting on the development, Northern Ireland justice minister Noami long said "[Project Atlas] will ensure that all FSNI staff have the opportunity to work in modern, fit for purpose office and laboratory accommodation that will enable the continued delivery of a valued service for the criminal justice system."

The full article can be accessed here and here [Requires Subscription].

13,000 construction apprenticeship opportunities created

The UK government has launched a major initiative to tackle construction skills shortages through its school rebuilding and refurbishment programme, creating 13,000 apprenticeship and T Level placement opportunities.  Construction companies on school projects must support training, with 90% of roles based within 30 miles of the site to benefit local communities and help meet the target of two-thirds of young people in education, employment, or training by 2028.  Backed by nearly £300 million for colleges, a new network of Construction Technical Excellence Colleges and almost £20 billion for school rebuilding to 2034-35, the strategy is underpinned by faster apprenticeship approvals and longer, eight-year contracts, giving industry greater certainty to invest in skills and innovation.

The full article can be read here.

CJC interim report generally seeks to maintain the status quo for AI use in legal proceedings

On 17 February 2026, the Civil Justice Council released an interim report and consultation process concerning the use of AI when preparing court documents.

A critical proposal of the interim report is that parties must confirm that AI has not been used to generate the content of trial witness statements.  It is also proposed that expert statements should include a declaration indicating if AI has been used and if so, in what way and the specific tools relied upon. No changes are proposed for statements of case, skeleton arguments, and disclosure where a legal representative takes professional responsibility for their content.  A final report is expected to be released following the close of the consultation process on 14 April 2026.

You can read the interim report here and participate in the consultation process here.

A timely reminder on the grounds for extending service of the claim form

Lloyds Developments Ltd (in administration) v Accor SA [2026] EWHC 232 (TCC) (Lloyds Developments) concerned a successful challenge by the Defendant of a without-notice application made to the Court extending the six-month time frame afforded to the Claimant to serve the Claim Form.  The Court ultimately rescinded the extension of time sought by the Claimant to serve the Claim Form in France because the Claimant had not acted with due expedition to serve the Claim Form and when making the application to extend time, did not provide full and accurate disclosure of the effect such an extension may have on a limitations defence which could be pursued by the Defendant.   

The Court found that the Claim Form had been served outside the limitation period prescribed by the Limitation Act 1980 such that the Defendant was entitled to a declaration that the Court had no jurisdiction to try the claim.

Read the full decision here.

Bouygues challenges DfE over lost place on £15.4bn framework

Bouygues Construction is challenging the UK Department for Education (DfE) after losing its place on a £15.4bn six-year construction framework. The contractor missed out on one of 10 places to build and repair schools, colleges and universities in the south and east of England, with each project worth more than £12m. Bouygues has lodged a claim with the High Court, which alleges “multiple manifest errors” in the evaluation process, including factual misunderstandings, inconsistent marking, unjustified score reductions at moderation, lack of transparency and unequal treatment compared with competitors. The DfE told Bouygues its application was out of time, but the contractor refutes this. Bouygues seeks to have the award decision set aside, for its bid to be reassessed or the framework expanded to 11 places, and claims damages for loss of profit, bid costs and interest.

For further reading, please click here.

Galliford Try wins 333m Clarion homes job in Chester

Galliford Try has won a £32.8m design-and-build contract to deliver 126 homes in Chester for Clarion Housing. The contract, valued at £27.3m excluding VAT, covers the design and construction of the residential units plus associated external works, utilities and drainage. Clarion Housing Property Development Services, acting as contracting authority, followed a competitive, flexible, procedure under the Procurement Act 2023. Two tenders were received and assessed at final stage, with Winvic Construction being the unsuccessful tenderer. The decision was made on 29 October 2025, with assessment summaries issued the same day to the tenderers. The standstill period is due to end on 27 February 2026, and the earliest contract signature is set for 3 March 2026. The contract is scheduled to run from 3 March 2026 to 29 February 2028. The project forms part of the wider £120m City Place regeneration scheme, led by Muse Developments, a subsidiary of Morgan Sindall.

For further reading, please click here.

With thanks to Aleksander Polaszek, Ryan Loney and Carita Hui

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.

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