Thistle Loos, a portable toilet and welfare unit hire company based in Hinckley, Leicestershire, has acquired Gloucestershire-based Toilets 4 Hire. The deal will see Toilets 4 Hire absorbed into the Thistle Loos brand, expanding the company’s operational footprint into Gloucester, Cheltenham, North Bristol, Worcester and surrounding areas.

This acquisition brings Thistle Loos’ full range of commercial and event-focused sanitation units—including welfare units, accessible facilities, and luxury trailers—to a wider B2B customer base in the South West. The move is part of the company’s broader growth strategy to enhance service coverage and product availability across the region.

Teenagers in Nottingham have been getting to grips with remote controlled demolition and diamond drilling equipment as part of a national week of action to inspire the next generation of construction workers.

The Drilling And Sawing Association (DSA) in Brand Street, Nottingham welcomed teenagers from across the city as part of Open Doors, which is delivered every year by Build UK, and sees visitors taken on behind the scenes tours of live construction workplaces – from sites to warehouses, and training centres to offices.

This year was a record as over 7000 visitors attended 260-plus Open Doors tours across the UK.

It comes at a time when the construction industry needs to recruit 50,000 new workers a year until 2028 to meet demand for new housing and infrastructure – including 53,000 in the East and West Midlands alone – according to CITB’s Construction Skills Network report.

Visitors to the DSA in Nottingham were able to try their hand at demolishing concrete using a remote-controlled pedestrian operated crushing and breaking machine, as well as diamond drilling holes, while observing hand-sawing techniques.

Julie White, Chair of Build UK and Managing Director of D-Drill, spoke with visitors about different career paths into the industry and earning potential.

She said: “I left school with one GCSE and now lead a growing, nationwide construction business after joining the industry as a teen, and my message to them was clear – if you’re determined and want to challenge and develop yourself, then construction is the industry that will give you a chance to earn a great living.

“Seeing visitors’ faces light up during the interactive activities is what Open Doors is all about, and it is these types of experiences that can help to kickstart countless careers in the industry – at a time when new workers are needed now more than ever.

“The industry desperately needs to recruit to help the government meet its target to build 1.5 million new homes and develop other infrastructure – and Open Doors has a crucial role to play in helping to achieve this.”

Northampton-based office hub Vulcan Works has lowered the cost of its coworking and desk hire packages in response to market pressures affecting small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Aimed at supporting flexibility for startups and freelancers, the dedicated desk package now costs £200 per month. It offers 24/7 access, superfast WiFi, networking opportunities, discounted meeting rooms, and tailored business support.

The Coworking Unlimited option, which includes weekday access from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., has also been reduced to £150.

Located in Northampton’s Cultural Quarter, Vulcan Works provides serviced office space and access to grant opportunities, masterclasses, and a collaborative business community—making it a strategic choice for cost-conscious SMEs seeking more than just a desk.

The UK Government has approved the £200 million Viking onshore pipeline, enabling the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure on the Lincolnshire coast.

The project will see a 55-kilometre underground pipeline built from Immingham to the Theddlethorpe Gas Terminal. Captured CO₂ will then be transferred offshore to the Viking gas fields in the North Sea for long-term storage.

Led by Harbour Energy and supported by BP, the Viking CCS Pipeline is part of a broader decarbonisation strategy projected to attract up to £7 billion in investment across the Humber region by 2035. The initiative is expected to support 10,000 construction jobs and deliver £4 billion in economic value by 2030.

The pipeline’s design includes operational infrastructure such as valves, inspection and venting systems, handling facilities, and temporary construction sites.

After a six-month review by the Planning Inspectorate, which involved input from stakeholders and local authorities, the project received final consent from the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

The Viking fields have the potential to store up to 300 million tonnes of CO₂, with infrastructure designed to handle up to 10 million tonnes annually by the end of the decade.