Articles by Date : July 17 2006 - July 23 2006

Mesothelioma compensation claims process to be improved
Measures to improve the process for providing compensation to the sufferers of asbestos-related disease mesothelioma were announced yesterday 20 July.... more
(21 July 2006 17:46)

Wembley Stadium injury results in £3,000 fine
An injury to a young site operative laying concrete at Wembley National Stadium has resulted in a £3,000 fine for subcontractor Ian Groom, trading as.... more
(21 July 2006 15:39)

Corporate manslaughter bill receives first Commons reading
The corporate manslaughter Bill was given its first reading at the House of Commons today, Friday 21 July. The legislation has been keenly awaited .... more
(21 July 2006 15:05)

Polish workers to be relieved of double taxation
Polish workers will no longer be paying double tax on their earnings after a deal was brokered between the UK and Polish governments. more
(21 July 2006 14:24)

Could your business get burnt by sunburn claims?
Sunburn claims could pose the greatest new liability threat for construction firms. Insurance broker and risk management consultant Aon Limited's.... more
(20 July 2006 14:53)

Composite company Gabem loses appeal against the Revenue
The Court of Appeal yesterday refused Gabem Management’s request for an injunction concerning its CIS status. The company has been contesting HM.... more
(19 July 2006 17:45)

HSE prosecutes seven parties for death of demolition worker
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has announced that it is prosecuting seven parties for the death of an untrained demolition worker in 2002. more
(19 July 2006 12:26)

FMB survey says workloads and employment levels show further decline
Workloads and employment levels in the building industry have shown further decline, according to the Federation of Master Builders’ latest State of.... more
(19 July 2006 12:00)

Olympic Delivery Authority Procurement Policy published for consultation
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has today published its Procurement Policy for consultation. more
(19 July 2006 11:41)

Rourkes launch urban ironwork range
Burnley-based blacksmiths B Rourke & Co have launched a new range of commercial ironwork for the urban market. more
(19 July 2006 11:28)

Prison new build programme set to be announced
Plans to create 8,000 new prison places to cope with overcrowding are expected to be announced by home secretary John Reid. more
(19 July 2006 10:25)

Botes subbies invoke Human Rights Act
Three principal subcontractors owed a total of £725,000 by Botes Construction, which went into administration last month, are to make a claim for.... more
(19 July 2006 10:05)

Digitachs blur sales figures
Figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show truck registrations plummeted 51% in June, to 2,755, but the.... more
(19 July 2006 10:00)

CITB looks to integrate migrant workers in UK
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is drawing up an ‘integrated migrant worker package’ so that overseas workers will be prequalified in.... more
(19 July 2006 08:30)

Case law: Natural justice and bias (Norbrook / A Tank / Moulson)
Peter Phillippo, Brewer Consulting, considers case law. While cases involving natural justice and bias are now commonplace in adjudication cases, it.... more
(19 July 2006 08:30)

Crossrail congestion warning from Quarry Products Association
Crossrail could cause traffic chaos and serious environmental damage as unintended consequences, according to the Quarry Products Association (QPA)..... more
(19 July 2006 08:30)

Merchants urged to join OGC framework
Building merchants’ fears that they will be frozen out of a huge public sector commodities framework were dismissed this week by a leading government.... more
(19 July 2006 08:30)

Quarries face Work at Height ban on non-conforming kit
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors are threatening to issue improvement notices on the plant used in quarries, even as industry.... more
(19 July 2006 08:30)

Meade denies asset stripping and quits construction
Martin Meade, owner of the Meade Corporation, which has invested in several contractors, has announced that he has quit the construction sector. He.... more
(19 July 2006 08:30)

Highways Agency to seek bidders' budgetary feedback
The Highways Agency (HA) is looking to give itself better protection against escalating costs on early contractor involvement schemes (ECIs) by.... more
(19 July 2006 08:00)

Counting the cost of fraud
Fraud is costing western European engineering and construction companies more than £1.2m per incident, significantly higher than elsewhere in the.... more
(19 July 2006 06:00)

Contractors guilty of sitting on payments to subbies
Main contractors are increasingly withholding retention monies on completed projects from their M&E subbies despite industry attempts to replace the.... more
(19 July 2006 06:00)

Five firms win pioneering £1bn framework in South East
Mansell, HBG, Kier, Mace Plus and Warings have beaten 15 other contenders to win a £1bn regional framework contract in the South East. more
(19 July 2006 06:00)

Peterhouse acquisition brings Babcock success
Peterhouse's two rail divisions - track renewal and signalling - have both turned in strong performances so far this year, said Bill Tame, Babcock's.... more
(19 July 2006 06:00)

MCG member sites improve health and safety
There have been no fatalities and incident rates are down across the sites of Major Contractors Group (MCG) members, according to the group's latest.... more
(19 July 2006 06:00)

Key planning powers for London mayor Ken Livingstone
London mayor Ken Livingstone has been granted key planning powers as part of a wider package of reforms announced by the government last week. more
(19 July 2006 06:00)

HVCA says government is hindering progress
The Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) has come under fire from the Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association's (HVCA) new president Mike.... more
(19 July 2006 06:00)

Changes to Construction Act risk being shelved
Planned changes to the current Construction Act are at a "considerable risk" of being shelved by ministers, according to a senior source close to the.... more
(19 July 2006 06:00)

News round-up: 19 July 2006
News in brief from Contract Journal, 19 July 2006. more
(19 July 2006 00:00)

Amec suspends staff after theft
Eight Amec staff have been suspended on full pay and two have been arrested and released on bail following the theft of building materials believed.... more
(19 July 2006 00:00)

Consortium's £1bn bid for McCarthy & Stone
The biggest-ever deal in the UK housebuilding sector got underway over the weekend with the £1bn bid for McCarthy & Stone, the UK's largest player in.... more
(19 July 2006 00:00)

Editor's comment: A real lack of energy?
Last week's long-awaited Energy Review was heavily leaked, so it's doubtful anyone in the construction industry was too surprised that the government.... more
(19 July 2006 00:00)

Back bites and other bits: 19 July 2006
Back bites, number of the week, and quote of the week, from the Contract Journal issue dated 19 July 2006. more
(19 July 2006 00:00)

Barr might be floated
Tony Rush, parachuted in three years ago to sort out the problems at Barr, the Ayrshire-based construction group, has hinted that the group could.... more
(19 July 2006 00:00)

Government will miss affordable housing targets
The government stands no chance of meeting the affordable housing needs if provision continues at the current rate, according to the British Property.... more
(19 July 2006 00:00)

Nuclear future still unclear (News analysis)
Last week's Energy Review left contractors happy enough with the intent - but thirsty for more detail. Will Mann and Ben Harris report. more
(19 July 2006 00:00)

Croudace posts profit of £8.1m
Housebuilder Croudace, with a foot in both the private and social housing sectors, made an £8.1m pre-tax profit in 2005 from turnover running to £93m. more
(19 July 2006 00:00)

Part L software shows the way
The Construction Products Association has developed a free software tool designed to help manufacturers, designers and homebuilders familiarise.... more
(19 July 2006 00:00)

Regulation and policy update
Welcome to the July 2006 update of new regulations you need to know about for your business. The Construction Products Association and Construction.... more
(19 July 2006 00:00)

CJ50: July 2006
Another big public sector win for Skanska helped it reclaim the July top spot after a month away, with the civils and commercial sectors also.... more
(19 July 2006 00:00)

Cleveland Bridge apply for Wembley appeal
Cleveland Bridge (CBUK) is in court this week attempting to lodge an appeal against the High Court verdict on the Wembley Stadium case. more
(17 July 2006 17:36)

Construction output in Western Europe to slow after a strong 2006
Construction output in Europe is set to grow by 2.6% this year according to global forecasting group Experian. However, a slowdown in activity is.... more
(17 July 2006 17:26)

Making money from sustainable homes
Developers are being targeted with a guide on how to make money from sustainable homes by the Chartered Institute of Building. more
(17 July 2006 16:43)

Bluestone wins £9.5m student housing contract in Sheffield
Bluestone has won a contract from the UNITE Group to build a £9.5m student housing scheme in Sheffield. more
(17 July 2006 14:25)

E-procurement take-up by government poor
The low take up of e-procurement by Government clients is "amazing and disappointing" according to Treasury financial secretary John Healey. more
(17 July 2006 13:46)

HVCA announces training funds for workers in Scotland
The Heating and Ventilating Contractors’ Association has negotiated an agreement with Scottish Enterprise to secure funds for training workers based.... more
(17 July 2006 12:29)

Tax relief for site remediation works
Companies hit by remediation costs for land that they did not contaminate have been reminded that tax relief is available on the cost of clean-up.... more
(17 July 2006 11:28)