NEWSBRIEF

North east builder jailed FOR 15 MONTHS

Roy Rollinson, a 63-year-old builder from Thornaby-on-Tees, was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment at Teesside Crown Court on 14 September after pleading guilty to seven counts of Common Law Cheat. Earlier, Rollinson had denied that he ran a business, failed to declare his income to Inland Revenue, and did not deduct or hand-over tax owed by the people he employed. Rollinson was said to have avoided paying over £27,000 in tax and had been claiming Income Support for the last four years.

Tarmac and Foster Yeoman strike a deal

Aggregates suppliers Tarmac and Foster Yeoman have formed an alliance to improve the competitiveness of Tarmac's Bantry Bay quarry in south west Ireland and Yeoman's Glensanda quarry on Scotland's west cost. Under the deal, Yeoman's shipping and distribution network will be used to transport gritstone from Bantry Bay to the UK and Europe.

plant hirer apc in hands of receiver

Scottish plant hirer APC has been placed in the hands of the receiver due to serious cash-flow problems. More than 500 jobs are at risk. The company, one of the main suppliers of equipment for the A74 upgrade near Beattock, is believed by industry sources to have overspent on recruitment, undercut competitors to win contracts and spent significant money on entertaining customers. Currently in the hands of receiver KPMG, the £40 million turnover company will continue to trade as usual until it is decided whether all or part of it can be traded as a going concern.

Repair firms report dip in workload

The latest state-of-trade figures from the Concrete Repair Association reveal an 8 per cent drop in value of projects won by contractor members of the CRA in the first six months of 1998 compared with the same period in 1997. The 15 CRA contractors reported that the value of building-related work fell 17 per cent whereas civil engineering repairs increased by 1 per cent. Although the value of work slipped, the number of projects won actually increased by 2.4 per cent. Despite the fall in workload, nearly half of the firms expressed optimism about the prospects for the next 12 months.

New post for former CITB chief

Ted Willmott, former chief executive of the Construction Industry Training Board, has taken as over chairman of the National Construction Careers Group. The NCCG was set up in 1994 to advise young people and their advisors about career opportunities in construction at professional, managerial and technical levels. Willmott takes over from Dr Jeff Keer.

Mouchel names five NEW DIRECTORS

Consulting engineer Mouchel has appointed five new directors. Keith Jackson and Malcolm Taylor have been elevated to directors of Mouchel Consulting. Chris Connor has been made divisional director with Network Management while Keith Youngman and John Glanville are promoted to divisional directors of Mouchel's Hatfield office.

New posts for ICE president

Sir Alan Cockshaw, outgoing president of the Institution of Civil Engineers, is to take up two new posts. He is to be chairman of English Partnerships, the Government's regeneration agency and also chairman of the Commission for New Towns. Sir Alan starts his three-year term of office tomorrow (1 October) in both jobs and has been given the remit by planning minister Richard Cabon of merging EP and CNT "to form a new organisation which will be well placed to add value through sustainable development."