Latest Government figures out today show annual housing starts totalled 104,970 in the 12 months to March 2012, down by 6% on the same period a year before.

The number of homes built is now running at less than half the number the Government admits is needed to meet demand.

Seasonally adjusted starts are currently 50% below peak output in December 2005. Completions are 36% below their March quarter 2007 peak.

The dismal quarterly figures show house building starts in England fell by 11% to 24,140, compared to the previous three months.

Even private housing starts fell 8% as house builders continued to focus on restoring balance sheets rather than building at higher volumes.

And public spending cuts saw housing associations starts slump 21%, despite a raft of Government measures to stimulate the market.

On the day that new figures came out, the National Housing Federation, Shelter and The Chartered Institute of Housing, warned in their second Housing Report that the government is not delivering on five out of ten key housing indicators.

These include housing supply, affordability of the private rented sector and homelessness.

The report urges the Government to make good on its promises, in particular to ‘Get Britain Building’, which as well as providing much-needed homes for thousands of families, will also deliver new jobs and economic growth.

The report also warns ministers of the urgency of meeting the nation’s housing needs as pressures, such as falling incomes and a growing and ageing population, intensify over the coming years, putting an increasing strain on Britain’s broken housing market.

David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations, said: “Much more needs to be done to tackle this country’s dire housing crisis. Unless we build significantly more homes, it will only get worse.

“Building new homes will help fix our broken housing market and, with rising unemployment and living costs, spur economic growth by creating jobs and supporting small businesses. It’s a win/win for the taxpayer and for the millions stuck on waiting lists.’

Grainia Long, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, said: “The Housing Report shows the Government’s progress in addressing our national housing crisis is limited.

‘With the economy now in double dip recession, the pressures on the housing system will only increase and the Government needs to step up its efforts in response and be more ambitious in its strategy to boost housing supply and activity in the wider housing sector.

“Addressing the housing crisis in this way would also be a much-needed and powerful stimulus to economic growth.”

The dumptruck is being brought into the UK initially as a demonstration unit for extensive customer trials with it becoming available in January next year.

The 30t machine is designed with the compact transport dimensions of a 25t dump truck.

Its transport width is under 3m and, with a 19m³ dump body volume.

The TA 230 is the largest in its class with a shape specially designed for rapid dumping action.

Powerful hydraulic cylinders allow the machine to dump a payload in 12 seconds and return to its initial position in 8 seconds.

The Spring Mews project is currently out to tender with Bam, Shepherd, Vinci, Sir Robert McAlpine, Ocon and Watkins Jones in the chase for the £50m building job.

CLS also reported today that its other big scheme in the area, known as Vauxhall Square, was progressing well with the local council.

Vacant possession of this second site for 1.5m sq ft is due to be gained from the end of 2014.

The two applications represent a total of almost 2m sq ft of development and a development cost in excess of £450m.

Spring Mews will include 408-bed student accommodation and a 120-bed budget hotel.

Around these CLS aims to build 30,000 sq ft of shopping units and 50,000 sq ft of offices as well as a replacement community centre.

The developer said it was is in active discussions with potential operators and expected to start on site later this year.

Executive Chairman of CLS, Sten Mortstedt, said: “Gaining planning consent at Spring Mews is an important achievement for our plans in Vauxhall, an area of London which we expect will see significant regeneration and growth in the next few years.”

The Enquirer tipped the contractor as the winner of the big 5km dual carriageway contract last week. The new road will run between Newton Abbot and Torquay, bypassing the village of Kingskerswell.

The majority of the scheme is funded by the Department for Transport with significant additional support from Devon County Council and Torbay Council.

Detailed design work is due to begin this month with construction to complete by the end of 2015.

Greg Fitzgerald, Chief Executive of Galliford Try, said: ”We are delighted to be awarded this major and prestigious contract which will result in significant economic and environmental benefits and also improve safety.

“The link road is a great opportunity for us to further strengthen our presence in the south-west, a region where we are well established as a housebuilder.”

The former home of the Sun, Times and Sunday Times is one of the biggest development opportunities in London.

It is understood that the Tony Pidgley’s business has offered around £150m for the 15-acre site, according to a report in the FT.

News International came close to selling the 15-acre site three years ago for around £200m to property developer Marcus Cooper, but a deal was scuppered by the property collapse.

More recently News International toyed with its own plan to redevelop its Wapping headquarters but ditched the idea last September.

During the 12 months, Berkeley has bought 15 sites in the London and South East.

A deal would give Berkeley top a slew of big London sites along the Thames from Kew to Battersea, Blackfriars, Tower Bridge and Wapping.

Coroner Elizabeth Pygott said it was the only possible conclusion after hearing details of the death of Tommy Hollis, in west London.

She added the verdict would not bar prosecution or civil proceedings after it was revealed a metal support was cut by a McNicholas workmen before the lamp post fell.

Tommy Hollis died after being hit in Chiswick on February 23 2010.

Workwe Kelvin Elmore had cut the metal support plate not realising what it was, the three-day inquest heard.

The BBC reported that after hearing all the evidence, Ms Pygott said: “The only conclusion I am, in fact, going to leave to you is that of accidental death.

“The issue of statutory liability for health and safety matters is not for this court and I do not consider that there is any evidence of a gross error that could give rise to any other conclusion.

“But I should add, for your information, that the fact of an accidental conclusion is not a bar to any prosecution or civil proceedings. It is simply a conclusion limited to this court.”

The steel plate connected to the lamppost, outside Chiswick Town Hall, was exposed after a trench was dug during a road widening scheme.

Elmore, who worked for construction firm McNicholas which was responsible for moving Virgin Media cables as part of the council project, tried to remove the metal structure thinking it was part of an old tramline.

The inquest heard he was “utterly devastated” to learn of Tommy’s death.

Elmore was found guilty of gross misconduct by his company and given a written warning. He is still employed by McNicholas.

His colleague Chris Odd said there had been a sense of “urgency” to complete the work, after direction from Hounslow Borough Council.

The inquest heard the council’s head of transport emailed Aecom, in charge of designing the new road layout, to point out the work needed to be done promptly as the general election was approaching.

The message was sent on February 18, the day Elmore cut into the steel plate, which was just 18 inches away from the lamppost.

The Health and Safety Executive is currently investigating the incident.

The cuts will come from white collar staff among the 12,000-strong workforce rather than project delivery and site workers.

Around 4,000 staff are believed to work in office-based functions meaning one-in-six jobs will go.

The Enquirer first revealed the true extent of the redundancy programme last month.

The restructure will see a stronger focus on growth areas as Balfour looks to “emerge from the current downturn in UK construction as a more operationally efficient business.”

The new-look construction business will operate through three streams from January 2013 as support functions are centralised.

The divisions are:

• Major infrastructure – focused on complex projects in key sectors such as energy and transportation.
• Regional mechanical & electrical – across all sectors.
• Regional civil engineering and building – providing locally delivered, flexible and fully integrated civils and building services through partnerships and frameworks to strategic customers.

A new senior leadership team will also be unveiled at the end of this month which “will take the new business forward during a transition period which will run through to January 2013.”

The existing management team across Construction Services UK will remain in place during the transition period.

Mike Peasland, CEO of Balfour Beatty Construction Services UK, said: “This operating model will sharpen our focus on growth sectors and ensure the seamless integration of our capabilities for our customers as well as giving us the opportunity to create a more efficient structure.”

Balfour Beatty Construction Services UK consists of Balfour Beatty Construction Scottish & Southern, Balfour Beatty Construction Northern, Balfour Beatty Major Civil Engineering, Balfour Beatty Regional Civil Engineering, Mansell and Balfour Beatty Engineering Services.

Prisk was touring the CEA’s Construction Equipment showcase at the Department of Business and Innovation Skills in central London when he heard pleas from manufacturers.

Companies and representatives lobbying the minister included Rob Oliver, Chief Executive CEA (Construction Equipment Association), who also represented Datatag, Faiz Ahmad, Vice President Terex, Jacqueline Anderson, Central Marketing Director Terex, Andrew Barker, Managing Director Taylor Construction Plant, Junaid Makda Marketing Executive Nylacast Ltd, Nigel Basely Director Perkins Engines and Philip Bouverat Director, JCB.

Prisk said: “The construction equipment industry is one of the UK’s most dynamic sectors, and contributes £8.5 billion to our economy each year.

“Most people don’t realise that the UK is the second largest net exporter of construction equipment in the world. Over 75 per cent of products manufactured in the UK are exported to 150 countries world-wide. That is an impressive figure.

“This showcase is just one of the steps this Government is taking to demonstrate just how innovative and world-leading our manufacturing base is here in the UK, and change perceptions that as a country we don’t make anything anymore.

“Image is important, but we also need to ensure that businesses get the support they need to grow. This is why we have rolled out initiatives such as the £125 million Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative and recently re-launched the Manufacturing Advisory Service.”

CEA chief executive Rob Oliver said: “We were delighted when BIS approached the CEA to stage the first ever construction equipment industry showcase at its headquarters.

“There is a growing awareness that Britain’s construction equipment sector is a major force in manufacturing and worth billions to the UK economy; this showcase is the perfect platform to shout about just how ‘great’ Britain is.

“The ‘Constructing the Future’ showcase is also all about encouraging new blood into the industry. Engineers, skilled operators – there are huge opportunities in the UK construction equipment sector which currently employs more than 55,000 people.”

The Showcase is on until May 25 and is also promoting the forthcoming Plantworx construction machinery exhibition.

Exhibits include world leading engine technology from Cat/Perkins and the Ecolite mobile lighting tower from T.C.P.

JCB is showing the new 8018 CTS mini -excavator with a Union Jack as part of its livery and Terex is showing its leading wheeled dumper truck. Nylacast is showing its pioneering engineering polymer solutions.

The CESAR anti-theft scheme, delivered by Datatag, is also a key feature to the showcase.

Construction machinery scale models are also on display and an interactive competition will encourage visitors to participate to identify the data dot and win one of the models.

The victim was struck by the 6ft by 7ft site perimeter fencing panel when it fell in high winds.

Main contractor on the job is Thomas Vale who are converting the historic Piano Building into a new academy for Kidderminster College and Birmingham Metropolitan College.

The woman was waiting at bus stop at the time of the accident and had to be freed from under the hoarding by members of the public.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Ambulance crews arrived to find a female had been struck by a metal fence panel.

“A woman in her fifties was treated at the scene for a serious head injury.

“The patient was immobilised with the use of a neck collar and placed on a spinal board before being taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham for further assessment and treatment.

“The hospital was alerted to the serious condition of the patient.”

A Thomas Vale spokeswoman said: “Due to adverse weather conditions, we understand that a section of fencing collapsed which caused some injuries to a member of the public on the perimeter of the site.

“The emergency services, alongside the Health & Safety Executive were notified immediately and we will be working with all parties to determine the root-cause.

“We wish the lady in question, a speedy recovery.”

A team of eleven firefighters tackled the blaze at the site in Lewis.

The fire damaged two blocks of temporary accommodation and investigators are currently probing the cause.

Administrators at Zolfo Cooper made the vast majority of UBC’s workforce redundant last week after failing to find a buyer for the main building divisions.