Articles by Date : January 29 2007 - February 04 2007

Public's perception of construction industry at all time low, says survey
The construction industry is viewed by the public as slower and less efficient than the UK’s rail service and the NHS, with Wembley Stadium seen as.... more
(02 February 2007 17:30)

Inspace wins housing deals worth £41m in total
Inspace has the key to two housing deals for Places for People, the UK’s largest housing and regeneration group. more
(02 February 2007 15:29)

2012 Olympics at risk if budget not finalised, says National Audit Office report
The lack of a final budget for the 2012 Olympics will harm the delivery of the Games, according to a National Audit Office (NAO) report today. Its.... more
(02 February 2007 12:13)

Explorer wields the axe at Redsky
Explorer, the new owner of RedSky, the construction IT software group, is swinging the axe and making serious cut-backs in headcount. more
(02 February 2007 02:00)

John Laing chosen as preferred bidder for £75m Tees mental health PFI
A John Laing consortium, featuring Laing O'Rourke, has been selected as provisional preferred bidder for the Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust's.... more
(02 February 2007 00:00)

Housing Corporation reveals proposals for National Affordable Housing Programme
The Housing Corporation has set out proposals for the pre-qualification process for entry to the National Affordable Housing Programme this week. more
(01 February 2007 17:20)

Pinnacle is first private firm to gain Housing Association accreditation
Social housing management firm Pinnacle has become the only private sector company to be approved by the Housing Corporation to manage.... more
(01 February 2007 16:50)

Balfour Beatty pays £180m for US builder Centex Construction
Balfour Beatty has splashed out £180m to buy Centex Construction, an American building company. more
(01 February 2007 09:00)

Willowbrook fined for plant accident
Portsmouth-based Willowbrook Property Services has been fined £4,000 following an incident that saw a labourer lose a leg after being injured by an.... more
(31 January 2007 15:30)

Wates seals £25m Peabody deal
Wates Living Space has won a £25m five-year strategic agreement with the Peabody Trust. more
(31 January 2007 14:45)

£6bn bid by Tata Steel wins all-night auction of steelmaker Corus
Tata Steel has won the spoils at the end of the highly-charged, through-the-night auction of Corus, the Anglo-Dutch steelmaker. more
(31 January 2007 09:00)

News in brief: 31 January 2007 (p1)
It's your last chance to book a place at CJ's Second Building for London conference on 8 February at the Cavendish Conference Centre... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Talking tough on timber use
Following discussions between the two governments, the UK and Australia have agreed to work together to develop measures to stop the illegal timber.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Withersnet attracts two new members
Two more contractors have joined the Withersnet structural repair network. They are Underpin & Makegood and Olympus Construction Wessex. more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

This week's back bites: 31 January 2007
With Stories entitled… Prezza's legacy, Kerb it (Hants. County Council), Carling cut, Space age for JCB? and Bricklayers’ wives. more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Sol aims to break the £100m barrier
Nottingham-based regional construction and maintenance group Sol Construction, has had a "cracking good start to the year", according to finance.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Profile: NG Bailey chief executive Mark Andrews
With a turnover of half-a-billion pounds, NG Bailey now vies with Emcor for the accolade of biggest independent M&E contractor. And business keeps.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

ISG checks in for Farnborough hotel
ISG InteriorExterior has soared ahead of three rivals to take off with a £20m hotel deal on the site of the country’s most famous airshow. more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Three face BAFO on £100m school
All three firms pitching for a £100m PPP schools deal in Scotland have been asked to work up best and final offers (BAFOs). more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Amey and Tay Valley fight for Norfolk lighting work
Norfolk County Council has turned the spotlight on two outfits in the final run-in for its £42m PFI streelighting deal. more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Hochtief JV victorious in West Lothian schools deal
Hochtief joined by local contractor Dawn on delayed £50m West Lothian PPP scheme. more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

White Young Green (WYG) buys Malachi Cullen and Partners (MCP)
Consultancy group White Young Green (WYG) has bought Malachi Cullen and Partners (MCP) in a deal worth £1m. more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Skanska chosen for £350m YES! development in Rotherham
Property developer Oak Holdings has selected Skanska as its construction partner on the £350m YES! leisure, entertainment, sports and convention.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Amec awarded £28m tunnel project for Thames Water
Amec has been awarded a £28m contract by Thames Water to construct a 4.5km tunnel that will connect a major water treatment works to the London Ring.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Kent hospital PFI in funding scare
Leaked Trust memo warns debts may jeopardise the £300m Pembury Hospital scheme. more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Egan slams public sector's progress
Ten years after calling for improvements in productivity and cost, Egan sees lack of progress. Sir John Egan has launched a blistering attack on.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Tower crane bolt warning
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) issued a warning to owners and users of tower cranes regarding the correct installation of high tensile bolts.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

NCC stresses commitment to Bircham
The National Construction College (NCC) has emphatically rejected suggestions from a local politician that it wasn't serious about staying at its.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Keep it in the family?
We all know that the construction industry is in need of a large number of new recruits, but would you encourage your own children to fill the gaps?.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

OGC faces radical Treasury overhaul
A Treasury review increases OGC's powers in a bid to improve government procurement. more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Firms invited to briefing on Dublin Airport project
Contractors interested in a £1.3bn building contract at Dublin Airport have been invited to an informal meeting with the client on 14 February. more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Editor's comment: More rethinking required?
There's nothing like spending money on commissioning a report on improving things, spending more money driving the recommendations through the.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Draft engineering deal faces migrant issue
Proposals for engineering site pay and conditions still need to agree pay rates and NAECI pay scale review. more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Small change
Health schemes face a major funding overhaul, leaving the door open for smaller firms to cash in on work. Carol Millett investigates. more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Are Olympic green goals achievable?
Industry raises doubts as to whether ODA's 2012 sustainability targets are workable. more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Takeover-target Crest nets £80m
Crest Nicholson, the mixed-use development company, has turned in a set of financial results for 2006 that are almost a mirror image of those from.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

CESAR plant registration scheme launched to combat theft; Olympics to use registered kit
Construction Equipment Security and Registration Scheme (CESAR), intended to help reduce construction plant theft, launched at CITS forum. Assistant.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Merlo upgrades K/KS series
Merlo has replaced its K and KS series of small rotating telehandlers. The new machines feature the latest cab and boom designs, wider stabilisers,.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Questions of law and design liability
When they arise, construction defects create considerable problems - usually for the employer or occupier. more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Eastern promise?
On 1 January this year Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union. Will the construction workers of these countries follow their counterparts.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Winning with kids
Many contractors are unimpressed with the skills and attitudes of school leavers. Ewen Rose examines how one college is trying to make all its.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Plant news in brief: 31 January 2007 (p15)
With features on… Atlas Copco, Midland Expressway, Facelift, CPCS and Makita. more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Sandhurst gets towers approval
Lighting and generator specialist Sandhurst Mfg Co (SMC) has won an order for 90 of its TL-90 lighting towers from Torrent Trackside, after it gained.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Tip-Ex07 show sells out main display areas
Organisers of tipping industry show Tip-Ex07 have announced the main vehicle exhibition halls for the event have already sold out, with ancillary.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Do you know what a Site Waste Management Plan is?
Two-thirds of construction companies don't know what a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) is, according to a study by environmental website NetRegs..... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

News in brief: 31 January 2007 (p4)
Stories on… Polish builder’s leg crushed, Connaught, Greenwich Council, housing applications, ISG InteriorExterior, Bluestone, C Spencer, Cowlin.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Metronet takes on 550 more engineers to up performance
Metronet Rail is adding 550 new engineers to its frontline engineering team, an increase of 25%, in a bid to improve its performance on the London.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Exclusion for low red diesel users
A proposal by the government's Business Regulation Team (BRT) could see plant companies which purchase relatively small amounts of red diesel.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Fines for breaking restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian workers
Construction employers are being warned to take extra care if seeking to take on immigrant workers from Bulgaria and Romania. Failure to follow.... more
(31 January 2007 00:00)

Three listed for Kent BSF work
Three bidders have made the final cut for the first stage of Kent County Council's (KCC's) £1.8bn Building Schools for the Future BSF) programmes. more
(31 January 2007 00:00)