Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Ireland Construction News Archive for December 2007
20/12/2007
When the former NI Secretary of State Peter Hain announced the £250m funding for the dual carriageway between the Londonderry and Dungiven stretch two years ago local businesspeople concerned about increasing traffic problems on the main arterial route were hopeful of a resolution. They looked forw
20/12/2007
IDA Ireland have sold a site in Clonshaugh, Dublin, to Blackrock International Land for a total of €7.8m. The 3.38 acres site includes a detached facility of 42,000 square feet with 16,000 square feet of offices. The site is directly adjoined to Blackrock's existing 330,000 square feet warehouse an
20/12/2007
The hurried demolition of fire-damaged architecturally important properties - in the seaside town of Ballycastle - has been slammed by conservationists – who fear it was an inappropriate action that was rushed through to suit a proposed hotel expansion plan. They say the original fires that gutted
20/12/2007
When the former NI Secretary of State Peter Hain announced the £250m funding for the dual carriageway between the Londonderry and Dungiven stretch two years ago local businesspeople concerned about increasing traffic problems on the main arterial route were hopeful of a resolution. They looked forw
20/12/2007
Jodie Foster's eponymous Panic Room film is set to become a reality for families in Northern Ireland. Those at risk of domestic violence could soon have panic rooms installed in their homes. These facilities, designed to keep a violent partner out long enough for the police to arrive – are a reinf
20/12/2007
Ireland's Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has forecast that job creation next year will drop significantly. The Institute believes that the number of new jobs created will be at its lowest level for 17 years. It also said it expects the decline in overall building and construction ac
20/12/2007
There has been a fall of 10% in the volume of output in residential construction in the second quarter of the year according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO). However in contrast figures also show the overall volume in building and construction activity increased by 4% in the three month peri
20/12/2007
The first Iarnród Éireann intercity rail fleet trains will be introduced on the Dublin to Sligo route today. Dáil Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey will be at Dublin's Connolly station for the inaugural journey from the €400 million fleet. Services will be expanded to eight trains each way on we
20/12/2007
Festive fayre, in particular the Christmas turkey, is very much on the minds of most people this Christmas. However, whether you are cooking at home or eating out this holiday period, Northern Ireland Water (NIW) is urging the public to be careful when it comes to disposing of fats and oils. Lit
19/12/2007
DCC plc has accepted an offer to sell its 49% shareholding in Manor Park Homebuilders Limited to Morvest Limited, a Moran family company, for a consideration of €9 million. Joe Moran is the holder of the remaining 51% of Manor Park. DCC yesterday received a dividend of €172 million from Manor Par
19/12/2007
The construction sector in Northern Ireland recorded an increase of £362million (18.1%) over the year to 2006. This was a strong performance, although slightly behind the gains achieved last year (£396million, 24.8% growth). These figures are among the provisional results from the 2006 Northern Ir
19/12/2007
The Dublin City Development Plan 2005 - 2011 has been varied by designating Dartmouth Square as an Architectural Conservation Area. The proposed draft variation arises from objective H7 of the Dublin City Development Plan 2005-2011 (Chapter 10 Heritage) which states that it is an objective of Dubli
19/12/2007
One of Northern Ireland's oldest family businesses, Willis Heating & Plumbing Co. Ltd, has been honoured for its contribution to business in Northern Ireland at the Celebration of Enterprise event hosted as part of Invest Northern Ireland's National Enterprise Week. The company received the award f
19/12/2007
A real alternative for a potential sports stadium for Belfast, fully backed by a detailed business case, will be presented to Government early in the New Year by Belfast City Council. The council has appointed highly respected consultants Drivers Jonas, who have an excellent track record in the are
19/12/2007
Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey, today helped to re-launch an innovative partnership between Michelin Tyre and Northern Regional College. Located on the Ballymena Campus of Northern Regional College, the Michelin Technical Training Centre combines advanced engineering technologies w
19/12/2007
Irish Transport Minister Noel Dempsey will attend Dublin's Connolly station today as the first new trains from the €400 million Iarnród Éireann intercity rail fleet are introduced on the Dublin to Sligo route. From January 21, the service will be expanded to include eight trains, running each way o
19/12/2007
The Dublin Docklands Development Authority has lodged a planning application with Dublin City Council for the proposed sculpture on the River Liffey by artist Antony Gormley. The submission follows a series of public consultations and includes a detailed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), prepar
18/12/2007
Security Minister Paul Goggins has made the widely expected announcement that a new jail will be built at the site of the existing Magilligan Prison near Coleraine. He said today that the new prison will house 800 inmates and will cost about £215m to build. In addition, another £70m will be spent
18/12/2007
Final planning guidelines restricting development in Airport Public Safety Zones in Northern Ireland have been issued today. The new policy accompanies confirmation of revised Safety Zones at the George Best Belfast City and Belfast International Airports. These were prepared by the Department for
18/12/2007
Roads Minister Conor Murphy has announced a major roads investment totalling £316 million when he awarded a contract which will complete the dualling of the Belfast to Dublin road and improve accessibility to the west. The Minister announced the award of the contract to Amey Lagan Roads Limited for
18/12/2007
The pioneering Belfast theatre that began life in a south Belfast back room is to have a new lease of life. The venue that presented on stage everything from the tragedy of Macbeth to the living tragedy of the malevolent violence that was so much a part of Belfast for 30 years - almost from the bir
18/12/2007
Mantis Cranes, the Irish manufacturer of Self Erecting Tower Cranes (SETC), has teamed up with UK Crane Company R & B Construction Logistics. Mantis announced this week that it has made a 30% investment in the Cambridge based company. This latest move will see the Irish crane company extend, yet
18/12/2007
Building group Kingspan has announced strong profits for the first 11 months of 2007, but added that a slowdown in profit growth in 2008 is expected. The predicted slowdown is due to "more challenging" markets in Ireland, the UK and western Europe, said the Cavan-based company. For the full year 2
18/12/2007
Patrick McLain of Acheson & Glover has presented a cheque to Maeve Egerton of Help the Aged in Northern Ireland - one of the organisations benefiting from the construction materials manufacturer’s policy of making annual charity donations instead of distributing corporate Christmas gifts. Helped th
18/12/2007
Belfast residents are being urged to 'give the planet a gift' this Christmas as the city council launches its latest recycling campaign. With recycling rates increasing, a series of 2D and 3D billboards across the city are reminding people to keep up their environmentally-friendly efforts during th
17/12/2007
Two construction companies have been fined £50,000 each following the death of a teenager at a Newtownards demolition site. Philip Mulholland, aged 17, had started his first day at the Blacks Industrial Complex site in Short Street when the accident happened in February 2005. Bangor based company
17/12/2007
Global building solutions company Cemex has said that it expects its fourth-quarter profit rise to 18 per cent from the same period last year. The company projects growth of about 13 per cent in 2008 despite poor sales in the US market. The Monterrey-based company said in a guidance report that e
17/12/2007
Property investment company, Shelbourne Developments, is in discussions with the Royal Bank of Scotland to sell a 25 per cent stake of its company. A valuation of the Dublin-based company has put its value at €800 million. Shelbourne has major interests in Ireland and has recently acquired former
17/12/2007
Judgment was delivered on Friday in the High Court by Mr Justice Roderick Murphy in favour of South Dublin County Council in a Judicial Review case, taken by Cumann Tomas Daibhis, challenging a resolution to complete the development of a sports stadium at Whitestown Way, Tallaght for use by Shamrock
17/12/2007
An EU-funded project has commenced an energy performance audit of Ireland's existing social housing stock. The audit begins less than two weeks after Budget 2008, which included a Government pledge to commence or acquire 9,000 social housing units in 2008. The aim of the two-year project, entitled
17/12/2007
Councillor Patricia McCarthy, the Mayor, has officially opened County Clare's most recent housing development at Clarecastle. Cluain Ard consists of 22 apartments (2x3 and 20x2 bed) and is located close to all recreational, social and functional requirements. The development, which was completed e
17/12/2007
There has been a further twist in the ongoing saga of the proposed £1bn Donald Trump golf development in Scotland. It has emerged that Scottish Liberal Democrats are to call for an investigation into last week's decision to 'call in' the planning application for the project. Already complicated by
17/12/2007
Members of the business community in Northern Ireland have been disappointed with the results of the government's Varney review into taxation. Stormont ministers were also hoping to see a cut in corporation tax to promote investment. However, as a cut to 12.5% would cost the government £300m annua
14/12/2007
Ian Wilson, Assistant Director of Environmental Services with Lisburn City Council, received the prestigious 'Councillor Gerry Douglas Award', at The NI Building Control Conference last week. The award is presented annually for outstanding contribution to building control in the areas of leadership
14/12/2007
Northern Ireland Executive Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie visited the shared social housing development at Carran Crescent in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, today. This is the first mixed housing scheme in Northern Ireland resulting from the Government's 'Shared Future' policy. The vi
14/12/2007
Supermarket chain Aldi have made plans for a new distribution and office centre in Mitchelstown, Co Cork, 160 jobs will be created. The centre will supply Aldi supermarkets in Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford amongst others. A spokesperson for Aldi said the centre will support Iris
14/12/2007
The Macquarie Partnership have signed a 140 million euro contract with the Office of Public Works (OPW) to build decentralised offices in Portlaoise, Mullingar and Carlow. The firm will be be responsible for the construction, finance and maintenance of offices which will accommodate 1,500 staff fro
14/12/2007
Tipperary County Council has signed a contract for the construction of a recycling centre at Old Dublin Road, Roscrea. John Craddock Ltd, a civil engineering contractors firm from Naas in Co. Kildare, will build the 1 million euro Ciivic Amenity site. The facility has been designed to deal with a r
14/12/2007
The last part of the funding needed for a new policing training college has finally been approved, giving the green light for the new facility to be built - but more than two years after it was originally supposed to be have been build and actually open for business. Work on the new college in Coo
14/12/2007
A purpose-built support unit in Coalisland for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder has been opened by the Assembly Education Minister Caitriona Ruane. Based within Primate Dixon Primary School, Coalisland, the unit will complement existing provision in the area and enable children with autism
14/12/2007
Akzo Nobel is to sell Crown paints to secure an acquisition of ICI, which own Dulux, in accordance with the European Commission. The Commission was concerned that without the sale, Akzo would become to dominant in the UK and Ireland paint markets. Akzo Nobel's network of Crown Decorator Centres a
13/12/2007
A walkout by unionist members of an Assembly committee has stalled today's planned presentation of the blueprint for a 35,000-seater sports stadium at the site of the former Maze prison. Designers from HOK Sport, the GB-based company which also designed Wembley, were to have shown their plans to me
13/12/2007
Objections have been lodged at a public meeting against barrier-free tolling on the M50 motorway. The National Roads Authority has had six objections from motoring and consumer groups opposed to the proposals to remove toll barriers and replace them with electronic tolling. The State will operate
13/12/2007
The £1.39m office redevelopment of Victorian buildings at Artillery Chambers in Derry have been viewed by Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie. The development contributes to the overall regeneration of the historic heart of Derry, while providing modern office accommodation. Speaking at t
13/12/2007
An €80 million property loans case has been adjourned after the lawyer at the centre of the investigation failed to appear in court. Lawyer Michael Lynn is now being sought by Irish police when he failed to appear before a judge again today to face questions about multi-million euro property loans.
13/12/2007
Northern Ireland Executive Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie and Health Minister Michael McGimpsey officially opened a new £6 million Health and Social Care Centre in Derry today. The new health facility at Distillery Brae, will accommodate three medical practices serving a population of
13/12/2007
A local firm has completed the fitting of what promises to be one of the most walked-on floors in Northern Ireland. The commercial flooring arm of Martin Phillips Carpets fitted 4,000 sq m of commercial safety flooring at the new Ikea store at Holywood Exchange in Belfast. It won the contract to wo
13/12/2007
A new £630,000 synthetic sports pitch has been officially opened in Derry today, by Northern Ireland Social Development Minister, Margaret Ritchie. The pitch, at St Columb’s Park, will enable competitive hockey and football to be played as well as providing training facilities for Gaelic games and
13/12/2007
Now that Aer Lingus has abandoned its London Heathrow connection at the airport in favour of a new Belfast International 'hub', the management at Shannon airport has been busy developing new initiatives. They have responded by outlining a programme of incentives aimed at securing more year-round tr
12/12/2007
Plans for a 35,000-seater sports stadium at the site of the former Maze prison in County Antrim are finally to be unveiled at Stormont. The GAA, IFA and Ulster Rugby have all confirmed they would play at the stadium and have signed a document estimating minimum numbers of supporters they would hope
12/12/2007
Plans for a Belfast Underground are gathering momentum as the city's population is expected to treble to a over a million in the next 15 years. Arthur Acheson, qualified city planner and a partner in the Boyd Partnership on the Ravenhill Road has said such a project should be part of a transformati
12/12/2007
A national network of cycle and walking routes has been announced as the winner of the People's £50 Million Lottery contest. The Sustrans: Connect2 scheme won 42 per cent of the 286,285 votes and beat three other shortlisted entries to collect the biggest-ever UK Lottery grant awarded by public vot
12/12/2007
Donegal crane company Mantis Cranes has announced it has plans to expand its operations into the United States. The company currently supplies self-erecting cranes to the US market through a joint venture set up last year. It is understood the deal with Celtic Cranes is worth an estimated €700 mill
12/12/2007
Approval of Meath County Council's Preliminary Report for the Oldcastle Sewerage Scheme has been announced by Mr John Gormley, Dáil Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The €5.5m scheme includes a modern new Wastewater Treatment Plant and an extensive upgrade of the sewage c
12/12/2007
Northern Ireland Executive Rural Development Minister Michelle Gildernew has announced that the new Agricultural and Forestry Processing and Marketing Grant (PMG) Scheme is now open for applications. The new PMG scheme, worth £21.5m, forms part of the Rural Development Programme. The announcement w
12/12/2007
Christmas may be the time to be merry, but it looks like there is reason to celebrate well in to 2008 as figures just released have shown that Northern Ireland has the highest number of jobs on record – with many more people working in both the building and construction world, as well as in the serv
12/12/2007
Dr. Jimmy Devins, Irish Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, has officially opened the N4 Dromod Roosky Bypass. The 10km stretch of new roadway is part of pilot programme to identify the benefits of the (greenfield) 2+2 carriageway. Delivered five months ahead of schedule
12/12/2007
Road works totaling £2.5 million in the Magherafelt District Council area are progressing well. Regional Development Minister, Conor Murphy said: "Phase one of the road realignment scheme on the A54 at Ballymacombs Road near Smithstown Crossroads, Bellaghy, is substantially complete. This phase inv
11/12/2007
The A&E department of the Royal Victoria hospital in Belfast is moving from today to a new unit close to the hospital's Grosvenor Road entrance to allow for construction. It will operate for the next four years while a new A&E department is built. The new unit will cost more than £3 million. Dr La
11/12/2007
It has been claimed that some 26 of Northern Ireland's fire stations are no longer "fit for purpose" – and that the 999 system is close to overload. The Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) has warned that while something like £15m is actually needed annually to maintain standards, they a
11/12/2007
The Norman Emerson Group has officially opened their new office headquarters in Derryadd, Lurgan, as an integral part of a £2 million investment which is being supported by Invest Northern Ireland. The event, attended by over 500 invited guests, marked a significant milestone in the continuous dev
11/12/2007
Mallusk-based ISL Waste Management has signed a contract with Ikea to help its new Belfast outlet reach a target of recycling 90 per cent of its waste. With waste totalling an estimated 1,500 tonnes per year this will be one of the most ambitious recycling projects in Ireland. ISL managing directo
11/12/2007
Junior Ministers Ian Paisley jnr and Gerry Kelly have welcomed the European Commission's Northern Ireland Taskforce's fact-finding mission to the region today. The Taskforce is taking part in a series of meetings with government departments, social partners and other stakeholders. Ian Paisley Jnr,
11/12/2007
As the immigrant population in Northern Ireland grows, a local company has been recognised for its best practise in relation to its employment of migrant workers. Moira-based McMullen Architectural Systems received the Small Voice Business accolade at an awards ceremony in Newry. Members of the Po
11/12/2007
Cookstown Aggregates Ltd, Doons Road, Cookstown was fined £6,000 at Dungannon Magistrates' court for breaches of waste management legislation. On 2 March 2006 Environment and Heritage Service officers followed a lorry carrying controlled waste to Cookstown Aggregates' site on Doons Road, where they
11/12/2007
Addagrip's Addastone has been used for the resurfacing of the pathways at Lloyd town park in Tullamore, in central Southern Ireland. Designers on the project wanted a high quality and robust hard landscaping solution to withstanding the trafficking not only from pedestrians but also the park’s main
10/12/2007
Amidst the retailing frenzy that is Christmas, the island of Ireland's first ever IKEA store - at Holywood Exchange near east Belfast - is due to add further to the spending tumult later this week – but creating hundreds of jobs as a result. The stage is set for Belfast Lord Mayor Jim Rodgers to ch
10/12/2007
The majority of UK homes could be powered by offshore wind by 2020. New plans unveiled by Energy Secretary John Hutton could result in up to 7,000 turbines, per two mile of coast being installed to boost wind produced energy. Speaking to the European energy industry in Berlin, Mr Hutton launched a
10/12/2007
Up to 20 jobs could be lost due to a fire at Mulleadys Waste Recycling facility at Drumlish. Managing Director Anthony Mulleady said waste collection operations would not be affected by the fire, but waste sorting equipment has been totally destroyed. The fire broke out beside the dry recycling sh
10/12/2007
November has been another poor month for the construction sector according to the Ulster Bank. The bank's index tracking fell to 42 last month from 43.5 in October - that's the sixth consecutive monthly decline. A reading below 50 indicates contraction. Pat McArdle, chief economist at Ulster Bank
10/12/2007
The announcement by Failte Ireland that funding of over €1.45m has been allocated to Waterpoint, Enniscrone has been welcomed by the local community. Declan Breen, Director of Services, Sligo County Council and Executive Director of Enniscrone Leisure Ltd, said: "This substantial funding is a major
10/12/2007
Scientists from Australia's top engineering university have flown into Belfast today to seal a partnership with Queen's aimed at revolutionising the plastics industry. The agreement will be signed between the School of Engineering, University of Queensland (UQ) and the School of Mechanical and Aero
10/12/2007
The opening of Europe's most modern tramway in the southern French city of Nice is leading to significant investment opportunities for Irish property investors. That is according to two west of Ireland property specialists who recently launched a free property finding service in the French Riveria,
10/12/2007
A number of representatives from the United Kingdom and Irish delegations have met today in Belfast to ensure citizens in the UK and Ireland are better informed about the work of the EU and the Council of Europe. Members of the Committee of the Regions (COR) and the Congress of Local and Regional A
10/12/2007
The Hightown Bridge in north Belfast will be reduced to a single lane of traffic from 8:00 pm until 6:00 am each night from Wednesday December 12 until Friday December 21. These works are required to allow essential BT services to be diverted in advance of the Hightown Bridge being demolished in Ja
07/12/2007
America's Department of Commerce has been invited to partner the NI Executive in 'building' a new and vibrant economy here. The First Minister and Deputy First Minister told the US Secretary of Commerce, Carlos Gutierrez, that they are in the US on a joint mission, with a common purpose and a clear
07/12/2007
The cut in interest rates has presented an opportunity for first-time buyers in Northern Ireland. The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee's decision to cut interest rates by a quarter of a per cent to 5.5 per cent may be enough to entice property investors back following the recent dip in p
07/12/2007
Jane Chambers, Regional Director of White Young Green (WYG), the engineering, environmental, surveying, planning and project management consultancy, has fought off stiff competition to be voted 'Civil Engineer of the Year' at the inaugural Plant, Construction and Quarry Awards. Jane was awarded the
07/12/2007
NI Assembly Health Minister Michael McGimpsey made 'the cut' today, by breaking the ground to mark the start of enabling building works at a new healthcare facility. Mr McGimpsey cut the first sod of a £16 million Health and Care Centre which will serve Portadown and the surrounding area. The Mini
07/12/2007
The office of Public Works (OPW) has confirmed that it intends to carry out improvement work at Quin Garda Station. Dáil Minister Tony Killeen of State and Clare stated that the OPW is proposing to carry out alterations and additions to the building in two phases. Mr Killeen said: "'I very much we
07/12/2007
The scrapping of academic selection added to the Bank of England's cut in interest rates to 5.5% could reignite the Northern Ireland property market in the New Year. Now that the interest rate has been lowered lower borrowing costs would save between £15 and £20 a month on a £100,000 mortgage. To
07/12/2007
Alistair Carson has been appointed International Sales Manager at Uponor Infrastructure UK. Alistair joined Uponor as Scottish regional sales manager in 1999, and has been heading up sales and marketing for Uponor Radius in Northern Ireland for the past three years. Now he takes on the role of inte
06/12/2007
A major tourism infrastructure project is being planned for the Antrim coast town of Larne with ambitious plans unveiled for a £42.5m marina 'village'. As well as a 200-berth marina and an improved promenade, the scheme by Larne Marina Company includes a 16-bedroom hotel and 121 houses. Ten years
06/12/2007
Many hundreds of much-needed new houses for those unable to afford full mortgage payments and for dwellings for people with mental health and learning disabilities are not going to be constructed in Northern Ireland if the proposed N I budget is accepted. The developments are at risk if the 2008 dr
06/12/2007
The Port of Belfast has benefited from growth in the NI economy. The port announced a 13 per cent rise in pre-tax profits in 2006 to £18.7m. Port of Belfast Chief Executive Roy Adair, said: "The port is in many ways a bellwether for the economy. When the economy performs well, we perform well and
06/12/2007
Moy company Annard Horseboxes Ltd is experiencing export success thanks to a £350,000 investment backed by Invest Northern Ireland. The firm designs and manufactures high quality, bespoke horseboxes with integrated living quarters for people. The investment has enabled Annard to develop its product
06/12/2007
Minister Ian Paisley Junior has visited a "shining example" of key social and economic regeneration. The Washington DC project which includes the construction of a new $630 million sports stadium is the key element in the regeneration of a deprived area. The development, which will become the home
06/12/2007
Health Minister Michael McGimpsey today officially opened a new accommodation extension at Fairfields Care Centre, a residential and nursing home in Cookstown. The extension, which provides accommodation for 37 residents, was built to the latest specification, boasting a range of modern facilities
05/12/2007
Margaret Ritchie, Minister for Social Development has delivered the keynote speech at a seminar to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Ulidia Housing Association. The Minister congratulated Ulidia for opening the first Shared Future project at Carran Crescent, Enniskillen, in conjunction with the Hou
05/12/2007
Belfast City Council is to spend almost £12 million on extending its cemetery provision. Suitable sites being considered include Nutts Corner and Lisleen. The council had planned to develop a cemetery at Drumbeg but it was revealed at last night's monthly Parks and Leisure Committee meeting the so
05/12/2007
Enterprise Ireland is to invest €4m to support Norkom Technologies €11.4m research and development and growth strategy. In investment is expected to create 111 high level jobs in Ireland, 70 of which will be in research and development. Norkom Technologies supplies global financial services organ
05/12/2007
Mantis Cranes, the Irish manufacturer of Self Erecting Tower Cranes (SETC), has teamed up with UK Crane Company R & B Construction Logistics. Mantis announced this week that it has made a 30 per cent investment in the Cambridge based company. This latest move will see the Irish crane company furthe
05/12/2007
In today's budget Irish Finance Minister Brian Cowen has left the door open to changes in stamp duty which could boost the property market. Mr Cowan failed to mention specific measures but said: "I've never ruled anything in or out in a budgetary cycle.This is my fourth budget, I think in two budge
05/12/2007
There are 20 new jobs in the offing in Fermanagh as Quinn Glass has invested more than £41 million in upgrading two furnaces at its plant in Derrylin. The investment will also include the installation of state of the art inspection equipment that will reduce wastage. Adrian Curry, Director of Quin
05/12/2007
Almost €9k has been allocated to ten environmental awareness projects in County Clare, under the Local Agenda 21 Environmental Partnership Fund. The Fund promotes sustainable development by assisting small scale, non-profit environmental projects at local level. It has operated in various forms s
05/12/2007
A leading international company that featured prominently in the recent launch of the Government's IDA report for 2006 has now shocked the west with news of a huge job loss. Abbott Laboratories, one of the largest US multinationals in Ireland, has announced the loss of 500 jobs – a significant part
04/12/2007
Northern Ireland architectural company, the Consarc Design Group, has beaten off stiff competition to secure a highly acclaimed RICS Award (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors), for its conversion of two Grade A listed Victorian Bank Buildings into the five-star Merchant Hotel. In its fifth RI
04/12/2007
North West businesses have been urged by Derry Chamber Chief Executive Janice Tracey to support the Sustrans Connect 2 bid. Indicating that benefits will be seen across the city, she said she was confident the bid would enhance the lives of the entire local community. Backing the city’s bid to sec
04/12/2007
Bord Gáis last night met with local residents, Community Council members and business representatives from the East Cork area to outline specific details of the construction programme for the €400m Bord Gáis Whitegate Independent Power Plant (WIPP). Following earlier information sessions during the
04/12/2007
As the impact of climate change is felt, development in Northern Ireland must increasingly steer clear of areas at risk of flooding, according to RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors). Commenting on an RICS event about Planning Policy Statement 15 (PPS15) - the planning policy to minimis
04/12/2007
Cemex has sold concrete and aggregate plants in US to Dublin based building material producer CRH in a $250m deal. Cemex said it sold concrete and aggregate plants in Florida and Arizona to CRH to gain US Department of Justice approval for a $14.2 billion purchase of Rinker Group earlier this year.
04/12/2007
The Planning Service has launched a pre application discussion (PAD) initiative for strategically important planning applications to improve the quality of those applications and to speed up the decision making process. Welcoming the initiative Environment Minister, Arlene Foster, said: "PADs is ju
04/12/2007
The owner of Omagh pub and nightclub, Sally O'Brien's is undertaking a £4 million development programme which will include the building on John Street being demolished and rebuilt. John McGirr's plans for the new and improved Sally O’Brien’s includes high specification design and disability access
04/12/2007
Decorative and architectural glass specialist Topglass Contracts has invested over £1m in state-of-the-art manufacturing and display premises in Toome, and in initiatives to grow exports through the development of innovative products. The company is being assisted by Invest Northern Ireland to inc
03/12/2007
While work on a planned £14m expansion at Belfast's successful Merchant Hotel – a former bank headquarters - is about to begin, it has been revealed that the city centre is to gain another 'landmark' hotel. Plans for a new £10m restoration and development project by the man behind the Merchant Hote
03/12/2007
The First Minister and deputy First Minister are taking the message that the Economy tops the Executive's agenda to the most prestigious US financial and political institutions this week. A visit to the New York stock exchange on Wall Street and a meeting with the Mayor of New York Michael Bloomber
03/12/2007
Cookstown quarry equipment manufacturer CDE is to create 40 jobs as a result of a £5.4 million expandsion supported by Invest Northern Ireland. The firm is to construct a major extension to its existing manufacturing capability, at their global head office in County Tyrone. The extension will incre
03/12/2007
Members of Clontarf Golf Club have agreed to Capel Development's €180m buyout package following a vote at Dublin's Marino Institute. A total of 538 of the 670 full golf club members voted in favour of the transfer plus cash offer. Subject to Dublin County Council agreeing to the sale of the club's
03/12/2007
Clare County Council has signed a contract worth €700,000 with a County Cork engineering company to carry out improvement and upgrading works to the Local Authority’s existing sewerage treatment plant of Newmarket-on-Fergus. The works, to be carried out by Response Engineering of Charleville, invol
03/12/2007
Lisburn City Council recently opened its new changing facility at Lagan Valley Island, which will meet the needs of many of its customers with a disability, a part of its continuous facility service improvements and in a bid to meet as many needs as possible of all its customers. The Chairman of it
03/12/2007
Minister for Social Development, Margaret Ritchie has announced a further funding boost aimed at tackling deprivation in the Newry Neighbourhood Renewal Area. Announcing the funding of over £440,000 which will be used to upgrade footways and carriageways in a number of estates within the Newry Neig
03/12/2007
Republic of Ireland Natural Resources Minister Eamon Ryan has announced he has declined to grant Prospecting Licences to two companies seeking to explore for uranium in Donegal. This signals a wider policy decision to prohibit such activity in Ireland. Commenting Minister Ryan outlined the reasons
03/12/2007
Social Development Minister, Margaret Ritchie visited a home in Downpatrick which has benefited through the Warm Homes Scheme. Thousands of people throughout Northern Ireland have benefited from better heating and better energy efficiency as a result of the scheme. As part of Warm Homes Week, the
