Articles by Date : October 30 2006 - November 05 2006

Construction still second most hazardous industry
Construction is still the second most hazardous industry after agriculture according to new figures from the HSC. more
(03 November 2006 15:50)

Styles&Wood to float on Stock Exchange on 7 November
Styles&Wood is to float on the Stock Exchange. The shares, oversubscribed two-and-a-half times, have been priced at 150p, giving the group a market.... more
(02 November 2006 17:00)

WEEE - Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment - Regulations
Every year over 1 million tonnes of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) waste is being disposed of in landfills across the UK. From 1 July.... more
(02 November 2006 13:51)

Taylor Woodrow announces Ian Smith as next chief executive
Ian Smith will become the next chief executive of Taylor Woodrow in January when Iain Napier steps down after five years in the post. more
(02 November 2006 11:00)

Lemley fears delays for 2012 Olympics
Former Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) chairman Jack Lemley left his post due to anticipated delays to the delivery of infrastructure for the 2012.... more
(01 November 2006 15:35)

Workloads increase for consultants, says ACE report
UK consultancy and engineering are experiencing increased workloads, according to results from the Association for Consultancy and Engineering’s .... more
(01 November 2006 15:25)

£172m South Tyneside and Gateshead BSF shortlist announced
South Tyneside and Gateshead Councils have announced three shortlisted bidders for their £172m Building Schools for the Future (BSF) initiative. more
(01 November 2006 12:10)

Clancy Docwra sees turnover jump to £170m
Clancy Docwra has pushed annual turnover up to £170m, a rise of £30m, thanks to an increase in workload in two of its four divisions - water and.... more
(01 November 2006 10:00)

Finning pre-installs dozer grade controls
Cat dealer Finning claims it has become the first plant manufacturer to offer a range of dozers factory fitted with machine control components to.... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Six selected for £1.6bn academies framework
Six firms have been chosen for the Partnerships for Schools (PfS) £1.6bn academies framework. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Large frameworks exclude regional players, says Sol
Sol Construction has warned that the main risk that it faces is the increased tendency for public sector clients to lump work into large frameworks. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

MoD picks J Laing/Interserve team
The Ministry of Defence has called up a consortium featuring Laing O’Rourke John Laing and Interserve with Laing O’Rourke as contractor for a £180m.... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Grant scheme aims to reduce landfill waste
Government recycling body WRAP (the waste and resources action programme) has launched a grant scheme for recycling infrastructure for construction.... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Pension payout creates £2m loss for TE Beach
TE Beach (Contractors) made a £2m loss last year. There was a £2m payment into former managing director David Beach’s pension pot, despite the fact.... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Sunderland plea to speed up BSF project delivery
Sunderland City Council is hoping to use the Partnerships for School’s Academies framework to deliver its entire £102m Building Schools for the.... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Dawnus doubles turnover to generate a £760k profit
Dawnus Construction, the civil engineering company based in Swansea, doubled its turnover last year to £31m. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

MoD prime contracts: room for improvement
■ Defence Estates says prime contracts are delivering benefits, but there are many more gains still to be made. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Leicester hospitals PFI hits the buffers
■ £45m deficit puts £66m Leicestershire and Rutland batched PFI scheme in doubt. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

CC chairman predicts end for training levy
■ CITB board member James Wates says a self-funded ConstructionSkills is the way forward. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Contractors biggest offsite champions
Construction projects are more likely to use offsite technology because of the contractor’s recommendation, rather than that of the client or.... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Gleeson disposals cut debt by 85%
■ Prospect of becoming debt-free by Christmas as a result of a radical disposal programme, leaves group with a turnover of £390m. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

What’s going on within... John Doyle
Founded in 1967, John Doyle now employs an 800-strong workforce and is on target to achieve an annual turnover this year of £170m. Focusing on a.... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

New Part L software under fire
■ SBEM software criticised for being inaccurate and non user-friendly; the developers say industry feedback is leading to improvements. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Industry hit by fuel increases
High energy prices are reducing margins and pushing up tender prices according to the latest industry survey from the Construction Products.... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

GenSet extends EconoMan range
GenSet has significantly extended its EconoMan range of generators as a response to demand from its plant rental partners. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Wilkinson Star generators launched
Industrial equipment supplier Wilkinson Star has launched the MOSA GE15 PSX-EAS and GE20 PSX-EAS diesel-driven, low-noise AC generators. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Citroën Relay to receive Sat Nav and Trackstar
Citroën has claimed that its newly-launched Relay van range is the only one in the UK to have both Smartnav GPS satellite navigation and Trackstar.... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Manitowoc launches Model 14000 crawler
The Manitowoc Crane Group has introduced the 200t-capacity Model 14000 hydraulic crawler crane, a replacement for its ageing mechanical Model 4100W. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Tracking device aids telehandler recovery
The recovery of a stolen £55,000 telehandler in just a couple of hours has prompted a major insurer to urge plant owners to fit tracking devices to.... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Local firm wins Notts gallery job
It is a case of local firms for local jobs as far as a £13m art gallery contract in Nottingham is concerned. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

EC plans ever tougher energy targets
The European Commission has promised to propose tougher energy performance standards for the construction industry. It will force contractors to.... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Editor's comment: Why offsite needs to wake up
This week’s political themes must surely be the environment and sustainability. As Contract Journal went to press on Monday, the Stern Review was.... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Back bites and other bits: 1 November 2006
Back bites and other bits from the Contract Journal issue dated 1 November 2006. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Bidder reshuffle on £100m housing PFI
Changes have taken place in the line-up of firms working up bids for a £100m PFI social housing deal in West Yorkshire. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

40% of workers attracted by the idea of self-employment
The lure of self-employment is such that four out of ten directly employed people are attracted by its perceived advantages and would seriously.... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Working hours initiative gets lukewarm response
Fresh compromise proposals that would allow the UK to retain its opt-out from the maximum 48-hour week under EU legislation have failed to win the.... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Offsite construction: Contractors lead the offsite drive (Special report)
The first Contract Journal offsite survey, carried out in association with offsite consultancy Mtech Group, provides some startling findings..... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Fife hospitals for Interserve
Interserve has won a £40m-plus contract for work at two hospitals in Fife: the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy and the Queen Margaret Hospital in.... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Trio line up for £20m Herts Constabulary
Three firms are vying to lock up a £20m scheme for the Hertfordshire Constabulary. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

DfT gets blame for transport scheme losses
Local authorities are wasting millions of pounds on proposals for transport schemes that are either delayed or abandoned due to Whitehall objections,.... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Connaught improves its profit with £13m result
Connaught, the property services provider in the social housing sector, has made a pre-tax profit of £13m. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Firms need to be able to sign up to CIS now
On-line registration for the new CIS scheme should be allowed now rather than force everyone to join in what will be a mad scramble on 6 April next.... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Three vie for Notts retirement deal
Three firms are working up bids for a £30m retirement village near Nottingham. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Legal case study: The defence of abatement
The distinction between abatement and set-off often causes difficulty. Set-off, which is a form of counterclaim, concerns the deduction of damages.... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Mitsubishi to hold a 4x4 vehicle week
Mitsubishi is running a 4x4 Commercial Vehicle Week from 4-12 November, when its dealers will prominently display what the manufacturer claims is the.... more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Four tussle for Brighton Uni
Four firms are vyingswotting up for a £15m design and build job at the University of Brighton. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Plant registration is imminent
■ UK plant registration scheme obtains outline agreement, with only costs, data handling and roll-out left to finalise. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

AirBoss rolls out puncture-proof tyre
Tyre manufacturer AirBoss has launched a puncture-proof tyre system that can be fitted to an array of plant and heavy machinery. more
(01 November 2006 00:00)

Network Rail faces unlimited fine over Ladbroke Grove
Network Rail today (Tuesday) pleaded guilty in Blackfriars Crown Court to health and safety breaches relating to the Ladbroke Grove rail crash which.... more
(31 October 2006 15:50)

Allianz bid for Laing might trigger new offer from Henderson
John Laing shareholders must be rubbing their hands in glee as hot on the heels of a staggering 355p-a-share take-over bid from the Henderson fund.... more
(30 October 2006 14:00)