Articles by Date : March 10 2003 - March 16 2003

Allenbuild wins £4.6m Leeds contract
Allenbuild has secured a £4.6m contract with Crosby Homes for the new 'Waterloo Apartments' at Brewery Wharf, Leeds. more
(14 March 2003 17:09)

Taywood rejig pays off as margins clear 3%
Taylor Woodrow has pushed the operating margin in its construction division passed 3% for the first time. "That's a top quartile performance," said.... more
(14 March 2003 17:04)

Lavendon investment 'error'
Lavendon Group, parent company of powered access rental specialist Nationwide, has admitted that it may have made a mistake in the timing and scale.... more
(14 March 2003 17:03)

Support wanted
A year is a long time in the City. Twelve months ago, the support services sector was seen as the promised land for construction companies. Seduced.... more
(14 March 2003 17:03)

Balfour: £1.2bn bonanza
Balfour Beatty will enjoy a £1.2bn boost to its workload during the next seven years because Metronet - the consortium of which it is a member - has.... more
(14 March 2003 17:02)

Hydrema to launch ADT
Intermat will see another new entry into the coveted three-axle, 22t ADT market with the launch of the 922C from Hydrema. more
(14 March 2003 17:01)

Brandon Hire profit falls 11%
Full-year results at Brandon Hire show turnover up 10% to £32.9m despite profit falling by the same margin to £3m. The increased turnover was.... more
(14 March 2003 17:00)

Industry told to stop resisting change
Resistance to change is preventing the construction industry from enjoying the benefits of new technology, according to plastic pipework systems.... more
(14 March 2003 17:00)

Telecoms pays off for Amec
Amec's decision to establish a presence in the telecoms sector has paid off handsomely. From a standing start two years ago, it has now built up a.... more
(14 March 2003 16:59)

Three bid for £20m school PFI
Three firms are on the register for a £20m-plus private finance schools deal in Northern Ireland. more
(14 March 2003 16:59)

Revised pay offer 'not enough' says UCATT
Building and civil engineering employers have put forward an improved pay offer that would give site operatives a total increase of 14.4% in basic.... more
(14 March 2003 16:58)

Rail business improves profit but civil engineering hits the buffers
Balfour has four business streams. The two most profitable ones are investments and developments (operating profit of £49m) and building/building.... more
(14 March 2003 16:57)

EC standards delay
The construction products industry is mired in confusion after the European Commission granted Germany an extension to meet the deadline for.... more
(14 March 2003 16:57)

5% VATrate hopes rise
With the Budget statement now just a month away, hopes are rising among builders that they are making real progress towards persuading the Chancellor.... more
(14 March 2003 16:56)

Spie Batignolle in jeopardy as turnover generates just £1.3m profit
Despite Sir Peter Mason claiming that the shape of Amec is now "tidy", there is every sign that its French subsidiary Spie Batignolle will be.... more
(14 March 2003 16:56)

Delayed immigration office to finally start
A delayed £55m office project in south London is finally expected to get off the starting blocks "within the next two months". more
(14 March 2003 16:55)

Corus goes bomb-proof in these troubled times
Corus has launched a fast-track modular construction system for high-security buildings called Surefast. more
(14 March 2003 16:55)

Acquisitions boost Keller's turnover
Keller's year-on-year growth through acquisition has resulted in a sparkling set of financial results for the year 2002, with pre-tax profit jumping.... more
(14 March 2003 16:54)

T Clarke finances to take a tumble
The financial performances at T Clarke, the electrical contractor, have reached a new peak, but are about to tumble. more
(14 March 2003 16:54)

Carillion 'will pay' for big freeze road chaos
The Highways Agency has given its strongest indication yet that Carillion will face penalties following its role in the roads chaos caused by.... more
(14 March 2003 16:53)

Two fight for £45m MoD HQ
Only two contenders are now believed to be left in the battle for a massively delayed private finance deal, worth around £45m, to develop the.... more
(14 March 2003 16:53)

Clean up your act: you're on camera!
Closed-circuit television cameras and on-the-spot fines could be commonplace on all construction sites if radical plans by the Chartered Institute of.... more
(14 March 2003 16:52)

Retentions: not enough interest
The trade and industry select committee has received only one response following the Department of Trade & Industry's (DTI) report on retentions,.... more
(14 March 2003 16:50)

Miller takes over £42m shopping centre project
Miller Construction has stepped into the breach on a £42m shopping centre scheme in Kent after Kier failed to agree a budget with the client. more
(14 March 2003 16:50)

NFB advances its fight to poach FMB members
The National Federation of Builders (NFB) has struck again in its battle for members with the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) after deciding to.... more
(14 March 2003 16:49)

Climb three peaks in 24 hours for charity
Here is a challenge to test the stamina of Contract Journal readers - the Coins Three Peaks Challenge, which will take place on 31 May-1 June 2003..... more
(14 March 2003 16:49)

Five line up for £38m Wiltshire A419 scheme
Five contractors will pick up the tender paperwork later this month for a road scheme in Wiltshire worth up to £38.5m. more
(14 March 2003 16:48)

Morrison fined after site death
Morrison Construction has been fined £4,500 following the death of an employee in a trench collapse three years ago. more
(14 March 2003 16:47)

OGC urges sites to be considerate
The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has recommended that all government construction sites should register with the Considerate Constructors.... more
(14 March 2003 16:47)

Bovis Homes' top performance
Bovis Homes has sustained its position at the top of the housebuilders' performance ladder, achieving an operating margin of 23.8% for the second.... more
(14 March 2003 16:47)

'Stop criticising and work together' says DE
Defence Estates (DE) is calling a truce in its war of words with the major contractors. more
(14 March 2003 16:46)

Customs & Excise clarifies red diesel rules
HM Customs & Excise has clarified the position of contractors and plant hirers regarding the requirements of the Registered Dealers in Controlled Oil.... more
(14 March 2003 16:46)

Poll: OGC is all talk
Very few contractors believe that government departments have signed up to the Achieving Excellence procurement targets and are using integrated.... more
(14 March 2003 16:45)

Councils siphoning money from roads
Civils contractors are frustrated that local authorities (LAs) are diverting funds from transport into areas such as social services. more
(14 March 2003 16:45)

C'mon c'mon, let's work together
Client/contractor relationships are in the spotlight again this week. But while Defence Estates (DE) is in the mood for reconciliation, the Highways.... more
(14 March 2003 16:44)

Lewisham schools PFI scheme hits problems
Firms waiting to hear whether they have made the cut for the London Borough of Lewisham's £60m schools PFI scheme now face an even longer wait. more
(14 March 2003 16:44)

Vinci's turnover rises
Vinci, the UK construction business formerly known as Norwest Holst, pushed its annual turnover higher in 2002 to £450m, an increase of £110m on the.... more
(14 March 2003 16:43)

Birse pulls out of £60m Coventry stadium
Birse has withdrawn from Coventry City FC's £60m new stadium less than a month before it was due to start work on site. more
(14 March 2003 16:42)

Industry votes against regional prime contracts merger
Defence Estates wanted to merge its South East and Eastern regional prime contracts, but did not after consulting the industry. more
(14 March 2003 16:42)

DfES issues consultation paper on £5bn schools plan
A government consultation document which heralds the biggest school building programme in 25 years was launched last week. more
(14 March 2003 16:41)

McNicholas must focus
"Green" McNicholas must get back to its core business as quickly as possible, according to the turnaround specialist brought in to save the group. more
(14 March 2003 16:41)

Rok acquisitions boost profit
Rok Property Solutions has announced a turnover of £220m, well ahead of least year's figure of £120m thanks to its vigorous acquisition policy. more
(14 March 2003 16:40)

The meaning of 'dispute'
Section 108(1) of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 states that "a party to a construction contract has the right to refer a.... more
(14 March 2003 16:40)

Intermat to show off new Cat kit
Caterpillar has unveiled several new machines that will be launched to the European market at Intermat in May. more
(14 March 2003 16:38)

Accord: PFI
Given that the private finance initiative is supposed to be all about delivering better value long-term maintenance and facilities management.... more
(14 March 2003 16:38)

Ballast sinks deeper in red
Ballast plc, the UK construction business owned by the struggling Dutch group Ballast Nedam, plunged further into the red last year to the tune of.... more
(14 March 2003 16:37)

Skanska and Swiss Re team up for Red Nose Day
Skanska and its client Swiss Re have today (Friday) teamed up to support Comic Relief by placing a giant 2m diameter "Red Nose" on the City of.... more
(14 March 2003 16:25)

"Mixed bag" for latest HSE safety blitz
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) construction safety blitz concentrating on site plant, vehicles and lifting operations across the East and South.... more
(14 March 2003 16:13)

Construction worker dies after fall from height
An employee with contractor George Leslie Ltd has died after falling from scaffolding in Scotland. more
(14 March 2003 12:06)

LGTF questions central government's best practice methods
Central government's approach to best practice through procurement has been seriously questioned by the heads of the industry's most influential.... more
(14 March 2003 11:11)