Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Ireland Construction News Archive for December 2009
18/12/2009
NUI Galway has launched its new Strategic Plan 2009-2014, by the University’s President, Dr James J. Browne. Key elements of the plan include a major €130m construction plan, increased numbers of spin-out companies, and a rise in numbers of mature, international and PhD students. "We are the bigg
18/12/2009
It has emerged that a top Irish construction sector boss has been appointed to a prestigious US mining role. Laing O'Rourke Chairman and Chief Executive Ray O'Rourke has this month joined the board of mining group Anglo American. He has become a Non-Executive Director and is the third such appoint
18/12/2009
The final section of the new Galway to Dublin motorway has opened, cutting the journey time between the two cities to approximately two hours. The new 56km stretch of the M6 runs from Ballinasloe to the outskirts of Galway city and has been completed four months ahead of schedule. Minister for Tra
17/12/2009
Northern Ireland Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie was in Bangor this week to announce Karl Greenfarm Properties as the preferred developer for the regeneration of the town's Queen's Parade. "For too long the heart of the town around Queen’s Parade has been lying empty, and it is no surp
17/12/2009
With news this week that the construction industry is still topping local employment sectors that are shedding jobs, one firm in Co Londondery has proved to be a case in point. The Derry building firm, Tradeforce, is to lay off almost half its workforce because of the downturn in the construction i
17/12/2009
iconic Belfast building is to undergo a £20m revamp that will see it being replaced by an 'urban village' concept. The East Belfast Mission (EBI), located in the city's Newtownards Road, will be knocked down in the New Year to make way for the Skainos project. Along with a new church building, th
17/12/2009
A new sculpture has been unveiled at Belfast's Waterfront Hall. New Sun, by sculptor Wolfgang Buttress, was developed with the help of schoolchildren from six primary schools across the city. The artwork was created a series of workshops attended by a number of schools from across Belfast as well
17/12/2009
Limerick County Council has signed a €1.3m contract to build a new fire station in Kilmallock. The contract, which will be carried out by M. Fitzgibbon (Builders) Ltd, involves the provision of a three-bay fire station with ancillary areas and a 13m-high, drill-training tower on a green field site
17/12/2009
A Belfast-based international consultancy firm has formed a partnership with a Saudi Arabian law firm. Quigg Golden, which specialises in dispute resolution within the construction industry, has linked up with Jeddah company Majed Garoub and will now offer its contract resolution and arbitration se
17/12/2009
A Co Fermanagh recreational centre for disabled people may be facing costs of £500,000 to repair damages caused by floods in November. Certain sections of the Share Centre in Lisnaskea, including a swimming pool and a gym, will not reopen until next September due to the damage. According to Chief
16/12/2009
Planning approval for the £100m regeneration of the former Barbour Threads Textiles Factory in Lisburn, Co Down has been granted. Making the announcement, Northern Ireland Environment Minister, Edwin Poots said: "Although it was a sad day when the Barbour Factory was closed down, this ambitious and
16/12/2009
A High Court Order for possession awarded against a couple who had lost their jobs highlights the Irish Government's failure to protect homeowners in difficulty, Fine Gael Housing Spokesman, Terence Flanagan has claimed. "The couple had attempted to renegotiate their terms with the lender, Stepston
16/12/2009
Existing, council-owned leisure and community facilities in Ballynahinch and Newcastle no longer meet the requirements of their respective local areas, it has been announced. Down District Council believes the buildings need to be replaced with facilities of a higher standard, which offer a "wider
16/12/2009
Ireland's property market slump has seen a Kerry creamery lose over €15m from the value of its property portfolio, according to a newspaper report. The Kerryman claims the Lee Strand Co-operative Creamery annual report shows a total, after-tax loss of €15.044m for 2008. Much of the loss was due t
16/12/2009
A proposal to open an amusement arcade in Bray has been met by opposition from councillors. Yesterdays meeting of the Bray Town Council saw several members oppose a planning application by Brian Mohan to renovate a carpet sales unit in the Florence Road area of the town into an arcade. The applica
16/12/2009
Northern Ireland's offshore renewable energy potential has moved another step closer to realisation, according to NI Energy Minister, Arlene Foster. Minister Foster made the claim as she announced the launch of the draft DETI Strategic Offshore Renewable Energy Action Plan 2009-2020 and its associa
16/12/2009
Figures just released have recorded a slight fall in the Northern Ireland unemployment rate during the latest quarter. However, the construction industry is still bearing the brunt of job losses even though the number fell between June and September 2009, with job losses being recorded across all m
16/12/2009
Northern Ireland Sports Minister Nelson McCausland has visited the site for a 50-metre swimming pool, which will be built in Bangor by North Down Borough Council. The Minister said: "I am pleased to visit the site of this flagship project and examine the plans which North Down Borough Council has t
15/12/2009
Irish Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Coughlan and Minister for Labour Affairs, Dara Calleary have received an independent report into matters in dispute (excluding pay) between the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union and Employers in the electrical contracting
15/12/2009
A construction firm and its director have been fined for non-remittance of pension contributions to the company’s employees. County Cork-based Wave Roofing and Cladding Limited was fined €31,000 after director Gerard Walsh pleaded guilty to 31 charges brought forward by the Pensions Board. Hearin
15/12/2009
A planned all-Ireland centre for children who suffer from autism is finally back on track, after the Irish government performed a U-turn over funding. Back in May, the future of the Middletown Centre of Excellence was thrown into doubt when the Dáil withdrew finances due to "economic pressure". Ho
15/12/2009
A recently published survey has indicated that house sales in Northern Ireland have increased. However, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) survey said sales are still well below normal levels. While the survey attributed the rise in sales to first-time buyers and investors, it als
15/12/2009
The construction of an Irish Arts Centre in New York is a step closer following the announcement of a €2.3m grant by the Emigrate Support Programme. Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin announced the grant for the landmark project, which will see the state-of-the-art centre being built in M
15/12/2009
Northern Ireland Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie was on hand today to open seven new family homes on the outskirts of Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh. The two and three bedroom social houses, provided by Ulidia Housing Association, have been built to Eco Homes standard and incorporate "the
15/12/2009
Northern Ireland's Planning Service, along with the country's lending institutions, have failed to reach any form of agreement on the issue of planning approvals that contain occupancy conditions, according to a South Down MLA. Expressing disappointment, the SDLP's PJ Bradley said: "I am aware of a
15/12/2009
Northern Ireland Education Minister, Caitríona Ruane, has given the go ahead for a new, £9m Magherafelt High School. "It is essential that while I am implementing reforms to raise educational standards we are providing the highest quality accommodation for our young people," said the Minister. "Th
14/12/2009
A leading Dutch operator of carrier-neutral data centres, Interxion, has announced the construction of a new €12 million data centre in Dublin. StructureTone has been appointed to build the centre, with work commencing immediately. Employing 90 construction workers over the initial construction ph
14/12/2009
A partnership between Belfast Metropolitan College (BMC) and Belfast Boys' Model School that delivers a construction qualification has been recognised for its 'excellence in training' at this year's National Training Awards. The award for Partnership and Collaboration was presented at a ceremony ho
14/12/2009
A new £25m housing scheme has been approved for the old Bass Brewery in west Belfast. Some 166 new homes will be built in what is being billed as one of the largest social housing schemes undertaken in Northern Ireland. It will also create much needed employment - with some 200 on-site jobs boosti
14/12/2009
The leading loyal order has launched ambitious plans to develop two interpretive centres. One of the Orange Order's new facilities will be at the organisation's headquarters in Belfast and the other in Loughall, Co. Armagh - founding place of Orangeism. Planning permissions have already been obta
14/12/2009
Ireland's largest breast care unit will be officially opened in Cork later today. The opening is part of the development of a dedicated cancer care centre at Cork University Hospital. The unit is the last of eight regional cancer care centres to be opened and will be capable of seeing around 12,00
14/12/2009
Cross border co-operation was seen as working this week when an all-Ireland centre for children with autism was put firmly back on track after the Irish government ended a pause in funding. Brian Cowen said the Dáil government would return to backing the Middletown Centre of Excellence - despite cu
14/12/2009
Local companies have been urged to apply sustainable development principles to their operations and secure significant cost savings. Northern Ireland Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster made her comments when delivering her address at the official opening of a sustainable development workshop in Enni
14/12/2009
The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) and the NI Association of Chimney Sweeps have issued a warning on the dangers arising from solid-fuel heating appliances not being properly cleaned. "When properly used, heating appliances which burn coal, wood or peat are safe," said Jim
11/12/2009
A fine has been handed down to a Co Roscommon businessman and developer after an accident at a construction site resulted in the death of a worker. Sean Doyle and two companies with which he is associated - Roscommon Building Company and Owencrest Ltd - received the €350,000 fine at a sitting of th
11/12/2009
A flood alleviation scheme in Moneymore has received the highest ever score in the construction category of the UK-wide CEEQUAL (Civil Engineering Environmental Quality) awards. The awards recognise the environmental quality and social practices of civil engineering projects. The Department of Ag
11/12/2009
A newly refurbished laboratory that will aid the research into cancer, infection, immune deficiency and metabolic disorders was opened in Dublin yesterday. Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe, was on hand to formally unveil the renovated Sir Patrick Dun Translational Research Laborato
11/12/2009
An agreement has been signed that will allow the University of Ulster to expand into land owned by Foyle and Londonderry College. The school is due to vacate its current 30-acre site on the Northland Road in 2012, and the deal will see the university utilise the space to add new facilities to its M
11/12/2009
A pilot project being run by Land & Property Services (LPS) to bring all its services together under one roof for ease of access has been hailed a success. NI Finance Minister, Sammy Wilson, visited the new 'one-stop shop' in Ballymena for members of the public with rating, valuation, land registry
11/12/2009
Local residents in Rush, County Dublin have had their first look at a new €3m library that is currently not being used due to a recruitment embargo that has been imposed on the council. A project to save the areas 18th-century St Maur's Church from demolition resulted in the creation of a plush new
11/12/2009
Dublin Lord Mayor, Emer Costello, was on hand yesterday to formally cut the ribbon and open the city’s €60m Samuel Beckett Bridge. The 120-metre long, 48-metre high bridge was designed by Dr. Santiago Calatrava and spans the River Liffey, linking Guild Street on the north of the Quays to Sir John R
11/12/2009
A multi-million pound deal is expected to result in a large number of new homes being built at an iconic site in the west of the city. An application for planning permission for a 160-unit development on the old Bass Brewery site on the Glen Road is expected to be given the go-ahead before Christma
10/12/2009
The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) has claimed the Irish Government's decision to cut nearly €1bn from its capital investment programme represents a 'blow to jobs' in its sector and that will significantly impact the Exchequer. However, the lobby group did welcome the continued availability
10/12/2009
Top training organisations, HSS Training and NATAS are to host a series of roadshows throughout Ireland and the UK during January, focused on sharing the latest information and guidance on working with asbestos. To support the HSE's 'Hidden Killer' campaign, delegates will receive an asbestos aware
10/12/2009
Northern Ireland Environment Minister Edwin Poots has just announced the approval of plans that will help regenerate the heart of Dungannon’s town centre. The approved plans are for the construction of 12 new retail units, a kiosk, café and 84 apartments, and will see an investment of around £20mil
10/12/2009
There's to be a multi-million pound investment in a Londonderry housing project. NI Minister for Social Development Margaret Ritchie has announced funding of over £23million for two new social housing developments in Derry City. Housing schemes at Dove Gardens in the Bogside and at Skeoge Road, in
10/12/2009
The Northern Ireland Health Minister Michael McGimpsey has cut the first sod at a facility that will significantly enhance respite services for disabled children and their families in Co Tyrone. The new £2.2million development will be based at the former Omagh General Hospital site and will provide
10/12/2009
After a lengthy wait, and as the current infrastructure continues to deteriorate, a once major Co Antrim shopping centre is to be rebuilt. The proposed complete redevelopment of Northcott Shopping Centre in Newtownabbey - by Blanca Developments - was given the go-ahead through the fast-stream Plann
10/12/2009
Construction at a new £270million Enniskillen hospital development is now six months into the project - and is advancing well. The three-year construction programme, that will see the hospital opening in 2012, this week enjoyed a visit by the NI Health Minister Michael McGimpsey, to see how the new
10/12/2009
A key elements in the Irish Budget announced yesterday was cuts of more than €1 billion in public service pay, a reduction of €760 million in social welfare - and just under €1 billion on day-to-day spending and the same amount on capital projects. This is expected to have a significant impact on n
09/12/2009
Planners have rejected proposals for a €100m indoor ski resort in west Dublin. Developers behind the 32,000 square metres 'Snowtopia' project said they are extremely disappointed by the decision. It had been suggested the ambitious scheme would have created 500 much-needed construction jobs. Th
09/12/2009
Work will start on a new £17.5m Belfast arts hub before Christmas, it has been confirmed. The 5,500 square metres Metropolitan Arts Centre (MAC) will be built in the city's Cathedral Quarter and create 420 construction jobs. Northern Ireland's Department of Arts and Department for Social Depart
09/12/2009
Ten-year plans to regenerate Limerick have been backed by the Irish government. Environment Minister John Gormley called on all relevant departments and agencies to complete their contribution to plans by spring next year. The final Limerick Regeneration Programme will then be considered by the
09/12/2009
Plans to approve a controversial runway extension at Belfast City Airport have been drawn up without a public inquiry, according to SDLP MP Alasdair McDonnell Dr McDonnell said he understood the planning application had been given the full support of Environment Minister Edwin Poots. He said there
09/12/2009
Construction work has commenced on a new wastewater treatment works in Annaghmore, Co Armagh Northern Ireland Water said the project, which will replace an older unit dating back to the 1970s, is "moving full speed ahead". According to NI Water, the new treatment facility will effectively meet inc
09/12/2009
Public consultation on new housing legislation has been launched by the Northern Ireland Housing Minister. Margaret Ritchie said the document sets out plans for cutting the fuel bills of social housing tenants. It has been designed to offer greater choice to homeless households and improve regula
09/12/2009
Northern Ireland's Environment Committee Chair has gave her backing to next year's EcoShow in Belfast. SDLP Assemblywoman Dolores Kelly MLA teamed up with 'Eco Warrior' Magnus Ramsey at Stormont to help promote the event. Speaking on the same day the Environment Committee launched its Climate Ch
09/12/2009
Home energy efficiency schemes are being negated by rising fuel costs, the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) has said. According to IPH, more people are facing fuel poverty and subsequent cold related deaths as a result. With 70% of homes in Northern Ireland relying on oil for heating
08/12/2009
Three joint ventures have been awarded the contract to build a record breaking dual carriage way between Derry and Aughnacloy. The 86 kilometres A5 Western Transport Corridor is the largest single road scheme ever undertaken in Ireland. Roads Minister Conor Murphy said the contracts are in two pha
08/12/2009
Ireland's Energy Minister has signed a political declaration paving the way for an offshore wind energy grid - or 'Supergrid' - in the North and North West Seas. The North Seas Countries Offshore Grid Initiative will examine the construction of the system, which will involve Ireland and the UK, as
08/12/2009
Ireland's Environment Minister has toured a trailblazing energy efficient home in Holywood, Co Down. John Gormley joined Northern Ireland Housing Minister Margaret Ritchie in celebrating the first anniversary of the province's pioneering carbon neutral home, which used just £160 of electricity las
08/12/2009
A new £1.25m wastewater treatment works, situated in Lower Ballinderry, has been officially launched by Northern Ireland Water. NI Water Project Manager, David Knight said the new works will provide an enhanced quality of service for customers in the wider Lisburn area. "We were keen to develop
08/12/2009
The Luas Red Line extension to Dublin's docklands has opened to the public for the first time today, with free transport for commuters until 3pm today. There are four new stops on the new extension - at George's Dock, Mayor Square, Spencer Dock and the Point. The route passes the Harbourmaster bar
08/12/2009
A major Belfast City Council programme has been hailed as an example of best practice in urban regeneration. The council's 'Renewing The Routes' initiative is one of six projects across the UK to have been recognised by the British Urban Regeneration Association in its 2009 'Best Practice in Regene
08/12/2009
Construction work has begun on a new dedicated arts building at Trinity College, Dublin. The Long Room Hub four-storey, granite clad building will be located between the 1937 Reading Room and the Arts Building, facing on to Fellows Square. Works are expected to be completed by April 2010. The
08/12/2009
A new state-of-the-art auction house has been opened in Dromore, Co Tyrone, creating ten jobs. Euro Auctions, a specialist in the sale of heavy plant and machinery, now boasts 18,000 square feet of new offices and a 10,000 square foot seated auditorium. The purpose built auction arena is part of
08/12/2009
A nationwide IT firm has opened its refurbished flagship store in Navan, Co Meath. Click.ie has also opened its first Dublin store with the opening of a outlet in the prestigious Dundrum Town Centre. "We opened the Navan store 12 years ago," said Maurice Muldoon, CEO, Click.ie. "It is a great t
08/12/2009
Northern Ireland Water has been fined £1,000 plus £61 court costs at Antrim Magistrates’ Court for making a polluting discharge to a waterway. The prosecution followed the discovery, on 24 December 2007, by a Water Quality Inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, that
07/12/2009
While the economy is on the turn, and a positive economic growth is set to return as the recession falters, Northern Bank economist Angela McGowan confirmed today that the construction trade is still faltering. The latest 'Quarterly Sectoral Forecasts' report published by Northern Bank, revealed th
07/12/2009
A new flyover junction at Cloghogue, on the A1 Newry bypass, has been officially opened. Roads Service said the new road junction will provide more capacity in the network, particularly for Belfast and Dublin bound traffic. "Belfast and Dublin bound traffic will no longer have to negotiate the Cl
07/12/2009
Procurement for a new Cork community school is nearing completion, the Education Minister has revealed. The 900-pupil facility is expected to be built on a 19-acre site in Skibbereen. Batt O'Keeffe said he was pleased efforts to secure the site are coming to an end. Agreement is now at the fina
07/12/2009
Over £4m is to be invested in upgrading sewage schemes along the Ards peninsula in Co Down, Northern Ireland Water has confirmed. Works will be carried out in the village of Ballyhalbert and other southern parts of the district. Funding will be utlilised to update wastewater treatment facilities
07/12/2009
Developers building housing estates in Dublin will have to give the schemes Irish names, the city council has ruled. Dublin City Council last week voted in favour of a motion by councillors Tom Brabazon and Críona Ní Dhálaigh that will oblige developers to name new estates in the Irish language o
07/12/2009
Over £400,000 is to be spent improving NI Housing Executive kitchens in the Lower Ormeau area of south Belfast. The works will be carried out on 88 homes, and completed by contractor PK Murphy under the EGAN style. Most of the homes involved were built by us between 1977 and 1984 and have been i
07/12/2009
A commercial electrical contractor from Northern Ireland has completed a £450,000 fit out for retail toy giant, Hamleys. Bellaghy-based Premier Electrics delivered its part of the Hamleys store in Glasgow's Enoch Centre on time for its pre-Christmas opening. The extensive electrical project, wh
07/12/2009
Local authorities in Ireland have been given stronger powers to regulate the standard of privately rented housing. The enforcement capabilities will help ensure accommodation complies with much tighter minimum regulations, the Housing Minister said. Proper maintenance of the external appearance
07/12/2009
Ireland's Transport Minister has commenced public consultation on new guidelines for cycle design across the country. The new guidelines, part of the National Cycle Policy Framework, will supersede the existing manual, which dates from 1997. Noel Dempsey said the draft guidelines were developed
04/12/2009
The European Investment Bank has announced plans to invest £30m towards a number of social housing projects in Northern Ireland. Funds are aimed at building new homes, and will support wider urban regeneration initiatives, the Department for Social Development said. The significant investment wil
04/12/2009
A new €4m eight-classroom school has been opened in Rochestown, Co Cork. The Scoil Phádraig Naofa building includes three special education tuition rooms, general office, staff room, ancillary and car parking space, and play areas. Officially opening the scheme, Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe s
04/12/2009
Belfast's mammoth regeneration of the Titantic Quarter is progressing well, the government has said. The centrepiece of the scheme is the £97million Titanic Signature building. Tipping five storeys, the building will contain a range of exhibition galleries telling the story of Titanic, and the wi
04/12/2009
Over 15,000 'green economy' jobs have been created in Ireland since 2007, the Irish Government has said. Launching his department's latest green report, the Daíl Energy Minister Eamon Ryan said semi state energy firms plan to invest almost €30bn over the next decade. He said since the Green Part
04/12/2009
Resident in Larne have been urged to express their views on regeneration plans for the town. Draft proposals, developed over the past year, have identified development opportunities for a number of key sites across the town centre. Included in the plans are several new waterfront developments on t
04/12/2009
The Irish capital could see its skyline permanently altered as a new policy permitting high-rise building has been approved. Dublin city councillors have voted to recommend the policy for the city's new development plan. The amendment to the Building Height Policy will allow developments in excess
04/12/2009
A Co Antrim Assemblyman has welcomed an announcement by the Stormont Roads Minister that a 'high level review' of proposed upgrades to the busy A8 will be carried out. Ulster Unionist Danny Kinahan said the review would include further consideration of the potential route through Ballynure. "I be
04/12/2009
Northern Ireland needs to be increasingly innovative in the way it tackles waste management, NI Environment Minister Edwin Poots has said. Speaking at a waste conference, Mr Poots said recycling would continue to be a top priority for his department. "The reality is that we cannot continue to dum
04/12/2009
A Co Antrim MLA has called for an upgrade on transport links to Belfast International Airport. The Ulster Unionist South Antrim politician, Danny Kinahan - while welcomed the opening of a new entrance to Belfast International Airport as the latest phase of a £10 million redevelopment scheme - has c
03/12/2009
Fine Gael yesterday published legislation that will allow the Auditor General to fully investigation dealings by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA). Environment Minister John Gormley previously stated that legally the Auditor General cannot get involved with the DDDA. However, FG De
03/12/2009
Antrim's Railway Street is to undergo a £101,000 facelift. The public realm improvement scheme will run from High Street to the entrance of Castle Mall Shopping Centre. Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie said the works will provide new footways, new street lighting, tree planting and ne
03/12/2009
Derry's Playhouse Theatre has reopened following the completion of a £4.6m restoration project. In addition to the renovation scheme, an extension was also built onto the Brade B1 listed building on the walled city's Artillery Street. The Arts Council contributed over £1.3m towards the works. It
03/12/2009
Ireland's largest engineers union has applied to withdraw from the High Court challenge to the Electrical Registered Employment Agreement (REA). The Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union said it was no longer in a position to fund any further legal action. This followed the non appearance o
03/12/2009
Almost 700 responses to regeneration plans for Bangor's Queen's Parade were received by the Department for Social Development. Margaret Richie welcomed the feedback, whilst publishing her department's report on the public's views. Describing the exercise as "overwhelming", the Minister revealed
03/12/2009
Progress on a carriageway widening scheme along the M5 will be dependent on an archaeological investigation, the Roads Minister has said. Discussing a series of schemes totalling £4.5m in the Newtownabbey area, Conor Murphy said preliminary work on the Jordanstown and Seapark project is continuing
03/12/2009
Letterkenny Institute of Technology will play host to a construction management seminar next week, it has been confirmed. Safetech Safety Professionals will provide an IOSH 'Managing Safely for Construction Managers' course from 9 to 12 December in the Colab building on the campus. The IOSH 'Man
03/12/2009
Over £70,000 extra funding has been given to a Northern Ireland homeless organisation. Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie announced the additional money for the Council for the Homeless Northern Ireland (CHNI) during her address at the ‘Including the Homeless’ seminar in Belfast. She s
03/12/2009
A fresh investment of almost £50m in 'Next Generation Broadband' will be a great boost to towns, villages and the entire rural community across Northern Ireland. According to Stormont Agriculture & Rural Development Minister, Michelle Gildernew, this fillip includes a £1.5million contribution from
02/12/2009
Plans to regenerate Belfast's Royal Exchange area must be outlined by October next year, a development consortium has been told. NI Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie laid down the deadline for the £360m project, which has the potential to generate 2,000 construction jobs, today. She
02/12/2009
Construction work has commenced on a new €7m Wexford county library. The building project was awarded to Michael McNamara and Co Ltd last month. Mallon Street Library will be six times the size of the current building, which is located on Redmond Square. Spread over three floors, the facility w
02/12/2009
A linkage scheme along the M2 to Ballymena will open early next year, the Roads Minister has announced. Outlining a £12m investment in the region, Conor Murphy said works to connect the M2 Ballymena bypass underneath the Larne Road roundabout to the A26 Ballee Road East dual carriageway are progre
02/12/2009
Fine Gael has said a committee investigation into the Dublin Docklands Development Authority has proved it ran on a 'pro-developer' basis. Yesterday, the Environment Committee heard testimony from DDDA Chair Niamh Brennan. TD Phil Hogan said the evidence submitted shows the taxpayer will be left
02/12/2009
A west Belfast Assemblyman has welcomed news an additional £6m will be injected into the coffers of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. Sinn Féin's Fra McCann said he hoped the money would be used to deal with the underfunding of the replacement schemes. "Sinn Féin have been lobbying the Hous
02/12/2009
Planning permission has been sought for a new petrol station in Monaghan. The proposals include the construction of a new two-storey commercial building. Colm and Jim McBride submitted the planning application to the county council last month. Planners will now consider the merits of the Carric
02/12/2009
Social housing schemes in the greater Belfast area has stalled after a bank - recently bailed out by the taxpayer - forclosed on the contractor. The BBC in NI has reported that the various developments, by Downpatrick-based company Polly Brothers, were funded by Stormont's Department of Social Deve
02/12/2009
A leading Northern Ireland housing association has become a social investor in the UK's only bank that is also a charity. Abbeyfield has built up prudent reserves for the future maintenance of properties and their board of directors have invested in Charity Bank to help the bank lend local voluntar
02/12/2009
Northern Ireland's Agriculture Department has recognised its role in protecting the province's rural roads and overseeing development scheme. Farming Minister Michelle Gildernew said her officials would work alongside Roads Service in the planning and implementation of projects in the countryside.
01/12/2009
A proposed £100m redevelopment at Londonderry's Foyleside shopping centre could create up to 500 much-needed construction jobs, it has been revealed. The plans include an extension to current retail space, in additional a new nine screen cinema and office block facilities. Centre Manager Des Farr
01/12/2009
Supermarket giant Tesco has failed to secure planning permission for what would have been its largest store in Ireland. Proposals for the Banbridge development were turned down by the Planning Appeals Commission, the second time the application has been refused. NI Environment Minister Edwin Poots
01/12/2009
Specialist concrete developed by a Northern Ireland firm will be used in the construction of a new 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium in London. Acheson and Glover was chosen to supply 500mm deep hollowcore slabs to main contractor Bryne Brothers, for use in the podium deck surrounding the massive stadium
01/12/2009
A contentious bridge development in Co Sligo has gained the backing of several local Fine Gael councillors. Support for the Eastern Bridge project comes after Housing Minister Michael Finneran revealed it could be omitted from the council's development plans. Speaking in Sligo last week, Mr Finn
01/12/2009
Planning permission has been granted for a new two-storey shop unit and office facility in Naas, Co Kildare. The development will be built of the site of a former workshop and garage owned by Pat and Sean McCormack, on Downings North, in Prosperous. The existing McCormacks Garage will be demolish
01/12/2009
Northern Ireland's Housing Minister has pledged a further £6m for social housing maintenance programmes. Margaret Ritchie said the investment will ensure a large number of additional improvement works will be carried out to thousands of houses across the province. "The extra money will be spent o
01/12/2009
Ulster architectural and engineering practices have been encouraged to look abroad for new business opportunities. Around 40 senior managers from local practices were briefed recently on opportunities developing in markets such as Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and India, in a program
01/12/2009
A public inquiry could be held into Roads Service plans to develop Belfast's Knock Road, the Stormont Transport Minister has said. Conor Murphy said preliminary works relating to the A55 scheme are progressing well. Roads Service has already published an Environmental Statement, draft Direction
01/12/2009
Additional funding is needed to complete the construction of 'Rise', a new piece of artwork planned for one of Belfast's main arterial routes. The project needs an additional cash injection over and above the original budget. The sculpture - designed to be built at the Broadway Roundabout - is to
