Articles by Date : March 29 2004 - April 04 2004

Stock Exchange properties to be sold for £68m
Developer Hammerson has agreed to buy three buildings from the London Stock Exchange for an initial price of £68m including costs. more
(02 April 2004 16:04)

Construction books site revamped
Construction Books Direct (CBD), the official online bookshop of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), launches its new design today.... more
(02 April 2004 15:30)

Construction activity growth slows down
The building industry lost some of its forward momentum last month, research from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) has.... more
(02 April 2004 14:33)

JCB to showcase five new models at SED 2004
JCB will launch five new models to the UK market at SED 2004. more
(02 April 2004 11:40)

Willmott Dixon to build seven-storey development in Slough
Willmott Dixon has been given the green light by long-term strategic partner Catalyst Housing Group to construct an £8m seven-storey mixed-tenure.... more
(02 April 2004 10:19)

Gleeson wins £4m theatre renovation contract
Gleeson has won a £4m contract to work on the New Empire Theatre in Sunderland. more
(02 April 2004 10:11)

"Healthy market conditions" delight George Wimpey
George Wimpey PLC has forecast today (Friday) that the "healthy market conditions" in the UK and US are expected to continue. more
(02 April 2004 10:03)

QPA event spotlights sustainability in quarrying
The quarrying industry’s efforts to minimise and eradicate impacts on the environment were highlighted yesterday (Wednesday) at the Quarry Products.... more
(01 April 2004 17:16)

Top two Irish piling firms merge
Two of Ireland's leading piling companies are merging to form a new company that will operate throughout Ireland. more
(01 April 2004 16:43)

Latham to review housing grants act
Construction minister Nigel Griffiths has appointed Sir Michael Latham to undertake a review into Part II of the Housing Grants Construction and.... more
(01 April 2004 15:56)

Considering letters of intent
Letters of intent are widely used in the construction industry and continue to cause considerable difficulty. It seems that the procurement processes.... more
(01 April 2004 15:45)

Rammer first
The UK's first Rammer in6 hydraulic hammer has been delivered to Eagle Plant of Chard, Somerset. Supplied by local dealer CRMS, the 60kg hammer is.... more
(01 April 2004 15:44)

Merseytram bidders face halt to work
Contractors bidding for the £225m Merseytram light rail project face having work halted for a year if they don't finish the contract on time. more
(01 April 2004 15:42)

And the good news is: some rates are falling
Despite the huge increase in construction insurance premiums, a number of firms are experiencing a downturn in rates. more
(01 April 2004 15:41)

Be launches collaborative exchange programme
An initiative to deliver improved project and business performance to support collaborative working through the use of information and communication.... more
(01 April 2004 15:41)

Improved training can help cut costs
Construction firms must raise standards in employee training if they want a long-term solution to rising insurance costs, warns contractor Natta.... more
(01 April 2004 15:40)

Firms fail to capitalise on partnering expertise
Contractors are failing to embrace the full principles of partnering because they are not learning from those who work successfully as a team. more
(01 April 2004 15:38)

ASI hot-burn process drives road maintenance forward
Road maintenance in the UK needs to be driven into the 21st century, according to road repair and rejuvenation specialist ASI. more
(01 April 2004 15:38)

HBG/Nuttall profits up
HBG Construction and Edmund Nuttall, the two UK subsidiaries of Dutch construction giant Royal Bam, made excellent profits in 2003, said a group.... more
(01 April 2004 15:37)

Demands for timber seizure
Greenpeace has demanded that the government seize a huge cargo of illegal timber from Indonesia's rainforests that has arrived in London. more
(01 April 2004 15:31)

Double orders for HE Services
HE Services has signed a £14m mini-excavator order with Takeuchi. Takeuchi president Akio Takeuchi and Hugh Edeleanu (pictured right), founder of the.... more
(01 April 2004 15:30)

NMC Group sees record turnover rise to £82m
North Midland Construction enjoyed rapid growth last year in two specific areas: its building subsidiary North Midland Building and Nomenca, the.... more
(01 April 2004 15:29)

ACE warns of insurance meltdown as rates rise
The Association of Consulting Engineers (ACE) warned the construction industry this week that it is facing a potential professional indemnity.... more
(01 April 2004 15:28)

Jarvis beats Kajima in race for £50m PFI schools project
Jarvis has turned the tables on Kajima to emerge as preferred bidder for a £50m PFI schools scheme in northern England. more
(01 April 2004 15:27)

Managers at risk of being sued
A lack of awareness of the dangers of not having adequate directors and officers (D&O) liability insurance is costing the construction industry dear,.... more
(01 April 2004 15:26)

Debut wins £480m MoD South West prime work
Debut Services (South West), a joint venture between Babcock International Group and Bovis Lend Lease, has been awarded the £480m contract for the.... more
(01 April 2004 15:26)

Crunch time for Chelsea PFI
The troubled £150m Chelsea Barracks PFI scheme will be relet as a Prime Contract, if the Ministry of Defence (MoD) gives the thumbs down today.... more
(01 April 2004 15:25)

Ray O'Rourke looking to buy civil engineering contractors
Ray O'Rourke is targeting a number of civil engineering groups as he launches a spending spree that could see a string of buys boost his total annual.... more
(01 April 2004 15:24)

RMC publishes corporate responsibility document
RMC has published its first corporate responsibility document. The document describes an ongoing initiative on health and safety benchmarking led by.... more
(01 April 2004 15:23)

SAFed launches safety access passport
Engineering inspection industry trade association the Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed) launched its health and safety passport scheme last.... more
(01 April 2004 15:22)

Mowlem in clear over £25m Spinnaker Tower
The Audit Commission has blasted Portsmouth City Council this week for allowing Mowlem to "outmanoeuvre" it on the £25m Spinnaker Tower project. more
(01 April 2004 15:22)

but Kajima is favourite for £30m Sheffield healthcare PFI
Kajima looks set for its ninth victory in the PFI sector and its second win in the healthcare market by surfacing as preferred bidder for a £30m.... more
(01 April 2004 15:21)

Miller's housebuilding sees 74% jump in profit
Miller's rapidly expanding housebuilding division was the main contributor to the Scottish-based group's growth in 2003, with a 74% leap in.... more
(01 April 2004 15:20)

West Midlands health PFIs face major surgery
Swingeing cuts to the £300m Wolverhampton Hospital PFI scheme and the £117m Walsall Hospital PFI project are planned following the completion of an.... more
(01 April 2004 15:19)

Duke of York launches Komatsu PW160-7
His Royal Highness The Duke of York launched the first Komatsu PW160-7 wheeled excavator during a visit to the company's Birtley manufacturing plant.... more
(01 April 2004 15:18)

Subbies slam NR's selection process
A group of subcontractors involved in track work in Wales is considering legal action against Network Rail (NR) over what it believes was unfair.... more
(01 April 2004 15:18)

Nuttall and Birse fighting for West Country roads upgrade
The battle for a high-profile motorway upgrading deal in the West Country has turned into a duel, with two contractors now clashing for a contract.... more
(01 April 2004 15:17)

Wolseley rebrands to be hub of supply chain
Wolseley Centers is restructuring to consolidate its position as a hub of the UK construction supply chain. more
(01 April 2004 15:16)

Mowlem and Innisfree sign £79m Devon schools PFI
Mowlem plc and Innisfree, as Modern Schools Exeter, have signed a £315m, 30-year contract with Devon County Council to build and service six new.... more
(01 April 2004 15:11)

Five tap into £1.1bn water deal
Five design consultancy groups have tapped into a mould-breaking water industry deal in Scotland. more
(01 April 2004 15:10)

Profit boost at Gleeson
Gleeson's construction division might have only made a modest margin of 0.8% in the group's latest six-month financial period, but at least it is.... more
(01 April 2004 15:09)

Barratt house prices rise 11%
The average sale price of a Barratt home rose to £161,000, up 11%, in the second half of 2003. more
(01 April 2004 15:08)

Rialto banners had to go
Advertising banners hung from flats on Rialto Homes' Victory Hill development have been removed after Basingstoke council ruled they were illegal. more
(01 April 2004 15:07)

Who's going to get the cash?
With the Budget out of the way all eyes are turning to the Chancellor's three-year spending review in July. This is where the details on the real.... more
(01 April 2004 15:07)

Cabstar revision
Nissan has revised its Cabstar range, with new engines, gearbox, front suspension and badging. more
(01 April 2004 15:06)

Bilfinger to close UK building arm
Bilfinger Berger, the German construction group, has undergone a U-turn on where it sees its future in the UK market. more
(01 April 2004 15:05)

Four waiting to hear on £170m PFI schools deals
Four contractors are closing in on a brace of private finance initiative schools deals in Nottinghamshire and Scotland totalling more than £170m. more
(01 April 2004 15:04)

Highways Agency CAT creator to move to Birse
The creator of the Capability Assessment Toolkit (CAT) is to leave the Highways Agency (HA) later this year. more
(01 April 2004 15:03)

GAI backs Security Bill
The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers has added its support to a parliamentary bill to enable the Building Regulations in England and Wales to.... more
(01 April 2004 14:31)

£473m more funding for ALMOs
The eight first round arms length management organisations (ALMOs) are to receive further funding of £473m over the next two years. more
(01 April 2004 13:14)