British workers looking for construction and building surveyor vacancies will be interested by news released at the end of April that a major retailer will be looking to enter the housing market. Tesco won?t be doing so by knocking down houses to build new supermarkets, but will instead look to build four ?mini-villages?.

This follows the news that house prices in the UK had risen by 10 percent in the 12 months up to April 2010. Tesco will be looking to take advantage of this upsurge, and perhaps other companies not traditionally associated with the construction industry will look to diversify in the same way as Britain?s leading supermarket chain.

Certainly an increase in house building will not only help the chronic housing shortage in the UK, but will be a welcome boost to jobs in the construction industry. This could lead to a string of construction and building surveyor vacancies becoming available in 2010 if others follow Tesco?s lead.

Sites have been identified in the south east for these mini-villages and include Bromley-by-Bow in east London, Dartford in Kent, Streatham in South London and Woolwich in south-east London. Meanwhile Ipswich and the north east of England have also been identified for mixed-use living and leisure schemes by Tesco.

It seems the project is already moving forward with Lambeth Council giving the go ahead for 200 homes, a bus depot and ice rink in Streatham. With cuts expected in public sector spending, there will be a greater reliance upon private firms to help the construction industry and create a healthy supply of building, engineering and building surveyor vacancies.