NEWSBRIEF

bovis north to manage £100m railway job

Bovis North has been appointed by Railtrack as construction manager for the £100 million-plus Leeds Remodelling and Resignalling project centred on Leeds City station. Bovis staff are already working with design consultant Bullen Gibb on pre-contract planning in preparation for a start on site next spring, subject to funding approval. Work involves rationalising track layouts, new platforms, civils, signalling and telecommunications.

Shepherd to construct £5.5m rubber plant

Shepherd has won a £5.5 million contract to construct a new industrial manufacturing unit for Avon Rubber in Westbury, Wiltshire. A 6,935m2 three-storey unit will be built for the manufacture of custom moulded and extruded rubber products.

edinburgh contractor's smart £3.5m profit

J Smart, the Edinburgh-based building contractor, has announced a pre-tax profit of £3.5 million for the 12 months ending 31 July, similar to its performance in the previous year. Turnover was down from £18 million to £14 million.

Brownsword cuts a partnership in gleeds

Paul Brownsword has been appointed a new partner of Gleeds' Birmingham office. He has previously worked in project and cost management for both Symonds and Bucknall Austin.

major Board changes on ppp programme

The Board of the Public Private Partnerships Programme body, set up in 1996 to support local authorities in the development and delivery of Public Private Partnerships, has undergone a number of key changes. Councillor Richard Arthur, leader of the London Borough of Camden, replaces Tony Coleman as chair and councillor Theresa Stewart, leader of Birmingham City, replaces councillor Roy Wilson as vice-chair of the board.

asphalters' skills scheme deadline looms

Mastic asphalters have until the end of the year to join the Construction Skills Certification Scheme on the recommendation of their employers or former employers. Failure to register before 31 December 1998 means that they will have to have a level 2 National or Scottish Vocational Qualification, or provide proof of having been apprenticed, before being accepted into the scheme. For more information contact the CSCS helpline: 01485 578777.

gleeds wins north-east construction jobs

Newcastle-based Gleeds Management Services has been appointed to act as project manager and quantity surveyor on two North-east construction schemes. Working on behalf of Collingwood Properties at Abingdon Way, South Shields, Gleeds is advising on two developments for leisure operator Allied Domecq. Work started this month and is due for completion early next spring. Gleeds is also project coordinator for two of Blythe Renaisssance Partnership's EuroSeas regeneration schemes.

life president of morrison dies

Alex Morrison, founder and life president of Morrison Construction Group, died last week aged 79. Born at Tarbet Farm near Tain in 1919, Alex - characterised by industry, optimisim and fortitude - helped push a business with an intitial annual turnover of £2,500 into a multi-million pound PLC. Although he became a non-executive chairman in 1984, Alex continued to take a lively interest in the business.