Articles by Date : July 20 1998 - July 26 1998

National player ambition
Haymills needs to be bigger, said Colin Harvey. "The industry is polarising," he noted. "Greater size means more work for the same overheads." .... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Supplying discount rewards
Balfour is cutting the number of names on its procurement lists by two-thirds. Its annual spend of £1.4 billion will be offered to whoever can.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Interpreting implied terms
Geoff Brewer of Brewer Consulting examines implied terms in subcontracts more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Special - Thinkers
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(22 July 1998 00:00)

[No headline.]
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(22 July 1998 00:00)

Haymills considers flotation
Haymills' current ownership status hampers bid to win larger PFI schemes more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Egan answers industry
CJ - How do you respond to the criticism that the Task Force is a "big boys" initiative? Egan - I suppose it is. On the other hand, we had to.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

No almighty row
Construction Industry Board welcomes Sir John Egan's boardroom address more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

NEWSBRIEF
Morrison gains london leisure contract Morrison Developments has won detailed planning consent from Enfield Borough Council in London for a.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Cautious welcome for transport plan
HA to manage trunk roads, councils to gain revenue to boost local transport more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Mace to build SmithKline HQ
SmithKline Beecham has appointed Mace as construction manager for its new headquarters building at Brentford, Middlesex. Detailed costs are not yet.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Task Force panned over housing plans
HBF criticises report as: "Not applicable to private housebuilders at all." more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Schal sheds 20 staff
Swingeing cuts at Schal have seen 20 project management staff made redundant this week and another 130 relocated to Schal's construction management.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Egan's revolution
In some stinging criticisms of worker safety and site conditions, Sir John Egan has called for a revolution in the way construction employers treat.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Top hotel baulks at Timtec bill
Contractor Timtec International is suing the Savoy Group for refusing to pay a £2.8 million bill for work carried during out the recent lavish.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Don't duck the issue - EDITORIAL COMMENT
So, the Task Force has been officially launched. Big deal, another initiative. Why should you take any notice? Well, as reform attempts go,.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

New Deal shunned by employers and young
The Government's New Deal initiative came under scrutiny this week following the indefinite postponement this month of a briefing outlining its.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

NEWSBRIEF
25 per cent over target for ha In its Annual Report for 1997-98, the Highways Agency claims it completed 1,978 lane-km of surface renewal, that.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Effects of spending seen after 2000
While the industry welcomed the increases in public spending announced last week by Chancellor Gordon Brown in the Comprehensive Spending Review,.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Demands for direct employment follow sharp practice accusations
Tarmac has insisted that Galostar, the brickwork subcontractor, employs workers directly after unions claimed they were using a self-employment.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Ballast Nedam makes £11m
Ballast Nedam, the Dutch-based parent of UK construction group Ballast Wiltshier, made a profit of £11 million (£10.6 million) in the.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Hancock is new MD at Unicorn
Tim Hancock has been appointed MD of Unicorn Consultancy, a subsidiary of the outsourcing and facilities management business Building &.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

They know what's best for you
The Task Force report, launched last week, is set to impose change from the very top, down... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Sweet success for Costain
Costain has won a £55 million contract to design and build a sugar refinery in Muscat, Oman. Costain will be working in association with.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Kier rail work doubled
Kier Rail's workload through its extended arm contracting partnerships with Railtrack has doubled this financial year to £60 million, the.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Balfour US arm wins £70.6m tunnel contract
Balfour Beatty Construction Inc, the US subsidiary of BICC, has been awarded a £70.6 million contract to build the Riverside Badlands tunnel.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Catchment set for Tay waste project
Morrison consortium wins second major Scottish water PFI scheme more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

First demonstration projects named
For an industry that learns through action, the Task Force's much-heralded demonstration projects have brought hope and confusion - hope, because.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Work winners this week
Who's winning the work?Contracts Hotline is your at-a-glance digest of the latest contract awards around the UK. Data supplied by ABI Building.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Coventry council crisis
Lack of management control, aversion to change, inaccurate valuation of work and inadequate staffing levels at the Building Services Division (BSD).... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Balfour's push for growth
Margins of 3% and £500m turnover planned by way of organic growth more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Short term growth to decelerate
High interest rates and the strength of sterling will cause the construction industry to grow more slowly over the coming months with reduced.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Correction: Nationwide in good health
We wish to correct an error in the July issue of CJ's sister publication Plant Managers Journal concerning Nationwide Plant. We reported that.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Ucatt 'scaremongering' over campaign on MDF
Sir, You report (CJ 18 June) that the Ucatt union may be planning to target DIY stores with a leaflet campaign "to inform the public about the.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

PAYE costs training £14m
Payroll levy may be more than doubled to counteract industry's loss of cash more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

714 turnover test to hit small firms
Advice is to reduce nominal turnover while FMB will lobby Inland Revenue more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Unions want talks over pay deal dodgers
by John d'Arcy Union leaders are pressing for urgent talks with the employers over complaints that " lots of contractors are seeking to.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Rugby pay compromise rejected
Operatives employed by Rugby Joinery have rejected a compromise pay deal. And the GMB union is to go ahead with a mass industrial tribunal claim on.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Powerscreen's new money man
Powerscreen is taking steps to put the company back on a firm footing. Three months after Barry Cosgrove stepped down as the.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

M11 cost jumps by £20m
Environment minister says increase more than doubles initial estimate more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Good results for Ashtead and a hire rate hike call
Profits rise 32 per cent on an increased turnover of £202.5m more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

OUTLOOK - Who exactly are our clients?
A definition: According to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary a client is defined as a customer or an employer of any professional man. A.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Asbestos threat closes EC Court
European Court of Justice to be housed temporarily while material is removed more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Hi-Reach gets HR15
Hi-Reach Access of Swindon has added the HR15 - an innovative aisle self-propelled access platform for industrial applications where it used to be.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

London Court slams builders as 'thieves'
A magistrate slammed London's building contractors last week, saying that it was impossible to trust them as they were "stealing left, right and.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Millennium Commission national capital projects
Sir, I write in response to your article (CJ 17 June, Design tour launched) which claims that Chris Smith, Secretary of State for Culture,.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)

Kettles and pots
Sir, I seem to recall an old saying about the "kettle calling the pot black". That could have been written for Brian Mellitt of Railtrack at.... more
(22 July 1998 00:00)