In brief


Botes wins Watkins jobs

Botes Building has won 20 VAT Watkins contracts after negotiations with receiver Coopers and Lybrand. Worth over œ8.5m, they are the bulk of the 34 jobs in progress when VAT Watkins and Swanley Bar Plant went into receivership.



Recovery weak

Recovery in construction is expected to be weak, a result of cutbacks in public expenditure and fears many major projects now under discussion are unlikely to start until beyond 1995, says Construction Forecasting and Research.



Gleeson board changes

Following the death of Jack Gleeson, chief executive Dermot Gleeson takes on the additional role of chairman. Lord Selsdon of Croydon, president of the British Exporters Association, becomes a non-executive director as does Peter Aitchison.
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Lonrho buys Sunley equity

Lonrho has acquired the 25% equity holding in Bernard Sunley which it did not previously own. A new subsidiary, Sunley Turriff Construction, will carry out all future construction work which would previously have been undertaken separately by either Turriff Construction or Bernard Sunley & Sons.



TUPE lobby wins support

An early day motion calling on the Government to pursue amendments to the controversial EC Directive on Acquired Rights and TUPE has attracted more than 20 signatories.



Architects hard up

Architects' earnings remain depressed by the recession, though under-employment is falling according to an annual Riba survey. Average earnings were œ23,000 last year.



Planning applications up

Applications for planning permission in the first quarter of 1994 were 5% higher than in the first three months of 1993, with new housebuilding decisions, which account for a sixth of all proposals, up by 6%.



Powerscreen eyes Benford

Powerscreen International, on the look out for a dumper range, is thought to be looking to buy Benford. The Benford product line-up would complement that of Powerscreen.



Pascon MBO

Plant hire company Pascon has been the subject of an MBO from parent BTR which values the group at œ28 million. Hampshire-based Pascon includes Palmers Scaffolding, Selwood Hire, Selwood pumps, Selwood Plant and Croker Plant.


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