NEWSBRIEF

LAING'S £110M SHOPPING SPREE

Laing has won a £110 million contract with Grosvenor Estates to transform retail and leisure facilities in the centre of Basingstoke. It is the sixth major project that the developer has awarded to Laing on an open-book partnering basis. Laing will build a new shopping complex covering 44,000m2, plus a further 8,500m2 of leisure area incorporating a multi-screen cinema and parking for 2,960 cars. It will also refurbish The Walks, the existing shopping centre next to the new development.

ATKINS WINS MOD WORK

WS Atkins has been appointed works services manager on the Ministry of Defence's High Wycombe group of properties. Atkins' newly launched Defence Services business has won four contracts, delivering a total of £25 million in fee income.

CITB OFFERS NEW COURSES

The Construction Industry Training Board has launched a new programme covering the installation of gas appliances. The programme covers central heating boilers, cookers, ducted air heaters, laundry appliances, gas meters and safety issues relating to domestic installations

ON THE MOVE

Brian Emerton has been promoted from operations director to managing director of John Laing International. Try Accord has appointed two business development managers: Steve Jarvis will look after the London region and Sam Roscoe will cover the South-west. Railway maintenance contractor GTRM has promoted Julian Garratt to business development director. The Miller Group has elevated Bob Cole to safety director.

COURTNEY TO LEAVE BRE

Roger Courtney, the deputy chairman of the Building Research Establishment, is leaving the organisation in September after nearly 30 years involvement. Courtney helped steer the BRE into privatisation in March 1997, which saw its ownership pass from Government to the Foundation of the Built Environment. He will retain a link with the BRE by representing it on national and international research forums.

CARILLION CLINCHES PFI DEAL

Carillion, the new name for Tarmac's construction business, has concluded negotiations for the £38 million private finance initiative prison at Onley in Northamptonshire. Onley is the fourth custodial PFI deal won by the firm. The 600-inmate category B prison will comprise two accommodation blocks, ancillary buildings and perimeter walls. Completion is scheduled for January 2001. Three Tarmac companies are involved in construction: Tarmac Building; mechanical and electrical contractor Crown House; and TPS Consult, which will undertake design work.

CONSTRUCTION IS WORST POLLUTER

Construction has been branded as the most frequent polluter by the Environment Agency in its 1998 annual report. Of the 3,600 pollution incidents investigated by EA from industrial sources, construction firms were responsible for 17 per cent -Êan increase of 1 per cent over the previous year. EA said the two main causes of pollution from construction activities related to the storage of oil and silt or other materials escaping into watercourses. EA warned that it has new powers and can serve an improvement notice on construction firms if it fears there could be the potential for a pollution incident.