Downing suffers £8.5m loss after cladding job hit

Liverpool-based Downing Construction suffered an £8.5m loss last year after settling a major claim over defective cladding on three high rise student accommodation blocks in Manchester.
The firm revealed it is now seeking compensation from insurers to recoup some of the £17.6m it paid in damages to the developer Unite Students late last year after the roofing cladding contractor involved went into liquidation.
A High Court verdict at the end of 2022 ruled that the specialist roofing