Articles by Date : March 12 2007 - March 18 2007

Gleeson building eyes £240m turnover in third year after mbo
Looking ahead, Gleeson Building has raised its forecast turnover for the third year of independent trading from £225m to £240m. more
(16 March 2007 15:00)

Miller Group's turnover soars to well over £1bn
With turnover rocketing to more than a £1bn, Miller has unveiled is 13th consecutive year of profit growth, notching up a figure of £87m in 2006. more
(16 March 2007 12:00)

Balfour Beatty wins contracts worth £111m for Paradise Project, Liverpool
Balfour Beatty has netted £111m worth of design and build contracts on Liverpool's Paradise Project. more
(16 March 2007 11:18)

Firm fined £70k following death of man injured by falling excavator
Barnsley firm E. J. Lidster and Sons Ltd has been fined £70,000 plus £35,000 costs following the death of its employee John Ferneyhough. Ferneyhough,.... more
(15 March 2007 17:33)

Sir Robert McAlpine buys Taywood's nuclear consultancy
Sir Robert McAlpine has bought Taylor Woodrow Construction's share of Nuclear Design Associates (NDA) for an undisclosed sum. more
(15 March 2007 16:00)

LDA launches Thames Gateway development database
The London Development Agency (LDA) yesterday launched an online database that details billions-of-pounds-worth of development opportunities in the.... more
(15 March 2007 14:56)

Jowell announces Olympic budget of £9.3bn
Culture secretary Tessa Jowell has announced that the final Olympics budget for the London 2012 Games will be £9.325bn. The figure is four.... more
(15 March 2007 12:00)

Atkins considers pension changes for 1,900 staff
Atkins staff with final salary pensions have 60 days to let their employer know whether they are prepared to accept changes to their pension.... more
(15 March 2007 11:00)

Wates Construction wins £36m contract for Headrow regeneration
Wates Construction has secured the £36m design and build contract for the regeneration of the 1930s landmark Headrow building in Leeds for Capital &.... more
(15 March 2007 11:00)

Video spot: From Stardust to just dust
The 32-storey Las Vegas casino Stardust met a suitably glitzy end this week as it was demolished to make way for a new hotel and gaming complex. more
(15 March 2007 10:55)

News Roundup: 15 March
The Financial Times has reported that Teesside will see the construction of a £250m bioethanol plant, following news that company behind it, Ensus,.... more
(15 March 2007 10:42)

ODA calls for bids for Aquatic Centre
Contractors were today invited to bid for the £75m London 2012 Olympics Aquatics Centre. more
(15 March 2007 09:30)

National Audit Office critical of Highways Agency's roads costings
Setting realistic unit costs, better cost estimating and the monitoring of market rates for key materials and pay rates used in road construction.... more
(15 March 2007 09:00)

RP Tyson Construction fined £16,000 after bricklayer's death
Blackpool firm RP Tyson Construction has been fined £16,000 and ordered to pay nearly £6,500 in costs at Preston Crown Court after one its workers.... more
(14 March 2007 11:55)

Connaught acquires social housing firm Baldwins for £9m
Connaught has announced the acquisition of Leeds-based social housing asset management firm Baldwins for £9m, in a bid to extend its role in planned.... more
(14 March 2007 11:27)

Amec loses £100m as settlement and litigation costs bite
The cost of provisions against litigation and settlements in the construction market has pushed Amec's pre-tax loss after exceptional items down to.... more
(14 March 2007 10:57)

Gabem to regain its gross payment status?
Managed services company Gabem could regain its gross payment status under new CIS, despite a Special Commissioners' ruling this week that confirmed.... more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Makers fined £526k in bid collusion case
OFT's fine is witheld after Keller division loses appeal over roofing project. more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Interserve takes a hit with profit back to £15m
The process of cleaning up Interserve's image has taken a major toll on its latest figures. more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Costain and VT win £400m Lewisham job
Costain and VT Group, which form the Learning21 joint venture, have been named preferred bidders for the 25-year £400m contract for the London.... more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

HA to roll out EMAC model
The Highways Agency's Enhanced Managing Agent Contractor model is expected to be rolled out across all future Managing Agent Contractor contracts.... more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Planning-gain levy 'barking up the wrong tree'
Westfield director fears levy will stymie development. more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Consumer opinion poll rates construction highly
NOP survey reveals 85% think construction provides a valuable contribution to society. more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Subbie drought threatens projects
There is growing concern in the industry that the shortage of subcontractors will start to seriously bite in coming years. Tom Bill reports. more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Erinaceous takes £4.4m hit over alleged fraud
Erinaceous, the property services group, has included expenses of £4.4m in its latest financial results. The hit principally relates "to the alleged.... more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Plant and equipment news in brief - 14 March 2007
CJ's review of the other news across the week in the plant and equipment sector. more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Greenwich Time & Space project showcases construction management
The extraordinary looking dome-shaped structure rising in Greenwich Park is the observatory's new Time & Space project. It's also proving a great.... more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Komatsu unveils reduced radius Dash-eight model
New cab, superstructure, engine and hydraulics for short tailswing machine. more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Cotswold opts for Terex
Better hire rates and superior residual values are why Cotswold Roller Hire (CRH) managing director Neville Thomas included five 10t dumpers in a.... more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Management of water lacking in green credentials
Despite the high profile of sustainability, research has revealed that 76% of construction professionals have worked on developments in the past year.... more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Redrow keeps on even keel
Redrow's average selling price in the six months to the end of December was unchanged at £162,000. more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Office fit-outs boost Interior Services
Interior Services Group (ISG) has unveiled its interim financial results, which show a pre-tax profit of £3.1m. more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Decent Homes under scrutiny
A Department for Communities and Local Government report has shown that more homes could be failing the Decent Homes Standards than previously.... more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Norwest Holst eyes Brighton uni scheme
Industry insiders are putting their money on Norwest Holst to clinch a £15m design and build education deal in East Sussex. more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Moxy's UK distribution arm targets 10% share
Manufacturer targets up to four dealers to market ADTs ranging from 24t to 46t. more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Speedy Hire extends Osborne deal
Civil engineering and construction contractor Osborne has renewed its tool and equipment supply agreement with Speedy Hire for another three years..... more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

New directors will shake up plant industry
Research company Plimsoll predicts an influx of new directors will mean a radical new look for the plant hire industry. more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Fault-finding course for plant hirers
Instant Training has introduced a Fault Finding for Hydraulic Work Platforms two-day course designed for plant hirers. more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

T Clarke makes regional management changes
T Clarke, the electrical contractor, has changed senior management and brought in improved financial controls in three of its regional operations:.... more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

BSF sample design work faces review
The amount of sample design work required in bidding for Building Schools for the Future (BSF) contracts is to be reviewed, said Partnerships for.... more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Engineers to fine tune new NAECI agreement
Engineering construction contractors and unions are meeting again this week after the operatives rejected an offer of a new three- year pay agreement.... more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Laggers to vote on pay offer
Laggers in the thermal insulation industry are voting again this month on a fundamentally revised pay offer. more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Balfour Beatty tops Highways Agency's CAT score league
Balfour Beatty is top of the contractor tree on the Highways Agency’s (HA) Capability Assessment Toolkit (CAT) scoring, while Amec is rooted to the.... more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

£170m turnover breaks records at Tolent
Tolent has unveiled a record turnover as a result of a "buoyant construction market in central and northern England," said chief executive John Wood..... more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

News in brief - 14 March 2007
The Olympic Delivery Authority has advertised a contract for the design, development, funding, construction and acquisition of the international.... more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Waterman in 'buoyant' form, says MD Campbell
Waterman is in excellent health, Bob Campbell, managing director, said as the consultancy group unveiled its latest interim results. more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

PFI league table not the way ahead
Creating a league table of PFI procurement times could compromise the quality of privately financed (PFI) bids, according to James Stewart, chief.... more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

60 seconds on safety: Bob Hackett, Bluestone
Bob Hackett, safety, health and environmental manager, Bluestone. more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Leavers and joiners: 14 March 2007
The week's appointments and departures within the construction industry. more
(14 March 2007 00:00)

Newspaper round-up: 14 March 2007
The Independent reports that public private partnership regulator Chris Bolt has repeated his conviction that Metronet did not effectively keep costs.... more
(14 March 2007 00:00)