Articles by Date : January 24 2005 - January 30 2005

Transport secretary backs Great Yarmouth harbour regen
The secretary of state for transport Alistair Darling has given his backing to £43.5m Great Yarmouth Outer Harbour (EastPort) scheme. more
(28 January 2005 16:54)

Concrete step barrier gets HA approval
The concrete step barrier is now the Highways Agency's (HA) preferred option for future motorway barrier installations and replacement works. more
(28 January 2005 15:25)

Health scheme needs another £450,000
Constructing Better Health (CBH), the industry's occupational health pilot scheme needs another £450,000 funding to get off the ground. more
(28 January 2005 13:02)

Severfield-Rowen targets Atlas Ward
Structural steel giant Severfield-Rowen is considering acquiring Atlas Ward for £1.2m. more
(28 January 2005 12:47)

Worker killed after concrete pillars collapse
A construction worker died in Co Louth, Ireland yesterday (Thursday) lunchtime. more
(28 January 2005 12:46)

VHE wins £12.4m Welsh remediation deal
VHE Construction, the brownfield remediation division of Montpellier, has been appointed by the Welsh Development Agency for the £12.4m remediation.... more
(28 January 2005 12:46)

Competition Commission orders Glenigan and ABI to part company
Glenigan’s owner Emap must re-sell ABI Building Data, after the Competition Commission (CC) ruled that its £14m acquisition of the business in May.... more
(28 January 2005 12:42)

Batched PFI hospitals deal botched again
The troubled £239m Northern batched hospitals PFI scheme is facing further cuts and delays following the introduction of the NHS’s controversial.... more
(28 January 2005 12:41)

Midas launches training academy
Midas Group has launched its own academy to improve and streamline training for its 400 workforce to provide a fast-track career development.... more
(28 January 2005 10:26)

Air conditioning engineer killed after roof fall
An air conditioning engineer died this morning(Wednesday) after falling from a roof in Bristol. more
(26 January 2005 16:42)

Three to pitch for £40.7m Scots PFI
Angus Council in Scotland has registered three groups to pitch for a £40.7m predominantly new-build schools PFI deal. more
(26 January 2005 15:42)

Suppliers alert customers of Lafarge faulty cement
Readymix concrete suppliers have been contacting customers to identify potential problem buildings as a result of defective cement from Lafarge. more
(26 January 2005 15:41)

Network Rail awards renewals contracts
May Gurney and Kier have picked up five-year civil engineering renewal contracts from Network Rail. more
(26 January 2005 13:17)

Housebuilders challenged to build affordable homes
Housebuilders have been challenged by the government to construct homes for less than £60,000 as it bids to help struggling first time buyers. more
(26 January 2005 12:56)

UK construction growth set to 'slow significantly'
Growth in UK construction will slow significantly in 2005 after three very strong years, according to Experian in its latest construction forecasts.... more
(26 January 2005 12:56)

Contractors wasting millions on bidding processes
Contractors and consultants whose bidding processes have not changed over the years are potentially wasting time and bidding for work that they would.... more
(26 January 2005 12:55)

John Laing reached close on 11 projects last year
John Laing’s trading update, issued on the Stock Exchange this morning, says that in the second half of 2004 financial close was reached on a further.... more
(26 January 2005 12:55)

SMEs get access to public sector work
Small- and medium-sized contractors (SMEs) are to be given a level playing field to bid for £2bn-worth of public sector contracts. more
(26 January 2005 12:55)

New MD at Saint-Gobain Pipelines
Saint-Gobain Pipelines' UK business has a new managing director: Claude Ciancioni has moved from France to replace previous MD Paul Hubbard. more
(26 January 2005 12:54)

Amec issues new shares to fund development
Amec is raising £95m by issuing 30 million new shares. The money will form the backbone of the funding needed for Amec's £111m development programme,.... more
(26 January 2005 12:37)

BAA issues road rules warning
Aggregates associations clashed this week over the Road Transport Directive, after the British Aggregates Association (BAA) warned new rules will.... more
(26 January 2005 12:37)

Bethell's incentive scheme cuts losses
Bethell Group's employees are being more careful with their portable tools and company vehicles as a result of a "pain and gain" policy. more
(26 January 2005 12:36)

Beware bogus safety letter
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has warned construction firms across the country to ignore all correspondence from a firm called the Health and.... more
(26 January 2005 12:36)

Hotel refurbishments lift Curzon prospects
Curzon Interiors is set to benefit from an upsurge in workload from clients in the hotel sector. more
(26 January 2005 12:35)

Hose Counter burster launch
Hydraulic specialist Hose Counter Midlands has launched a pipe-bursting machine said to be half the size and offer twice the power of existing units..... more
(26 January 2005 12:34)

Hydrema's slimline tonic
Danish manufacturer Hydrema has launched a new slimline version of its 922C articulated dump truck (ADT). more
(26 January 2005 12:34)

Plant hirers see value increase by up to 50%
More than 60% of the UK's plant hire companies increased their value during 2004, some by as much as 50%, according to the latest sector report from.... more
(26 January 2005 12:33)

CPA to launch initiatives for tool hire firms
The Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) is launching a number of new initiatives specifically aimed at tool hire firms at this week's Hire.... more
(26 January 2005 12:33)

Komatsu rolls out six telehandlers
Marubeni-Komatsu has launched six new telehandlers, featuring lift heights of between 9m and 16.1m. more
(26 January 2005 12:32)

Cornwall roads schemes on hold
Contractors hoping to make the grade for a £170m-plus two-in-one roads deal in Cornwall will have to sweat it out while a regional transport board.... more
(26 January 2005 12:30)

Mill Group leads in Leeds deal
A preferred bidder has surfaced for a £100m PFI schools deal in West Yorkshire. more
(26 January 2005 12:29)

Five chase housing work
Five developers are battling for a £100m-plus housing deal in Hastings, East Sussex. more
(26 January 2005 12:29)

Christmas comes early for safety and ecology firm
North Shields-based Safety and Ecology Corporation is set to clean up on Christmas Island under a £10m deal for the Ministry of Defence. more
(26 January 2005 12:28)

Auditors to probe CSCS financing
Government-appointed auditor Baker Tilly is set to report next month on the financing of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) and the.... more
(26 January 2005 12:27)

Entitlement to payment under a quantum meruit
The Latin term quantum meruit means "the amount deserved". It is generally applied to claims for a reasonable sum reflecting the cost of carrying out.... more
(26 January 2005 12:27)

Sustainable wood compulsory on Olympic projects
The use of timber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) will be compulsory on London 2012 projects should the Olympic bid succeed,.... more
(26 January 2005 12:26)

UCATT slams DoH celebration
UCATT leader Alan Ritchie has blasted the Department of Health (DoH) for holding a special event to celebrate the "successful completion of.... more
(26 January 2005 12:26)

City praise for John Laing despite pensions shortfall
The £50m jump in the deficit of John Laing's pension scheme to £145m has done nothing to dim the City's enthusiasm for the group, now transformed.... more
(26 January 2005 12:25)

Leniency pleas advised on competition investigations
Contractors and housebuilders have been urged to review their practices and procedures in case they become the subject of an anti-competitive.... more
(26 January 2005 12:25)

Microsoft eyes top spot in construction
Software giant Microsoft is making inroads into the UK construction market with an ominous message for its competitors. more
(26 January 2005 12:24)

Mouchel and Taylor Woodrow make debut on FTSE4Good Index
Mouchel Parkman and Taylor Woodrow have been included in the FTSE4Good Index. more
(26 January 2005 12:24)

Mowlem attacks council's Bath Spa report findings
Mowlem has hit back at a council report listing ongoing problems on the £33m Bath Spa project, which is now running three years late and is expected.... more
(26 January 2005 12:23)

Linslade bypass activists bailed
The two women leading the protest against the Stoke Hammond to Linslade bypass were charged with aggravated trespass last week after tying themselves.... more
(26 January 2005 12:23)

NI plans safe system of work for foreigners
An initiative to reduce the death or serious injury to the hundreds of non-nationals on construction sites in Northern Ireland has been launched by.... more
(26 January 2005 12:22)

Opco triples turnover in three years
Opco, the civil engineering and construction group, has trebled its turnover during its first three years of trading. The prospect for its fourth.... more
(26 January 2005 12:22)

Tiger aims to block disaster
The impact of natural disasters could be alleviated after a products firm obtained a patent for a modular building block. more
(26 January 2005 12:21)

Plumbers rush for CSCS cards
Record numbers of plumbing operatives are applying for skill cards under the sector's CSCS-affiliated registration scheme, according to Geoff.... more
(26 January 2005 12:11)

Small and medium contractors enjoy a strong finish to 2004
Small and medium-sized contractors had a strong finish in 2004, with output rising to its highest level of the year in the final quarter. more
(26 January 2005 12:10)

SMEs get access to public sector work
Small- and medium-sized contractors (SMEs) are to be given a level playing field to bid for £2bn-worth of public sector contracts. more
(26 January 2005 12:09)

Suppliers alert customers of Lafarge faulty cement
Readymix concrete suppliers have been contacting customers to identify potential problem buildings as a result of defective cement from Lafarge. more
(26 January 2005 12:07)