News round-up: 26 July 2006

Balfour Beatty's £32m bid for Birse has become unconditional as a result of 83% of Birse shareholders voting "yes" to the proposed deal by last Friday, which was the first closing date of the cash offer.

Westminster City Council has advertised its £150m to £200m Building Schools for the Future programme. The deal may include community facilities such as a library, adult education accommodation, swimming pool and youth services.

Contractors are being invited by International Port Holdings to bid for a £30m project to construct an outer harbour development at Great Yarmouth. Work includes dredging, reclamation, a breakwater, quay and other infrastructure.

Highbury College in Portsmouth is seeking a contractor to undertake a £20m redevelopment of the college at its Corsham campus. The contract will include construction, fit-out and equipment provision.

Suffolk County Council is looking for a contractor to bid for its £10m to £15m B1115 Stowmarket relief road project. The scheme includes a river bridge, a rail bridge, embankments and carriageway construction.

Tarmac has won a £12m contract to provide carriageway reconstruction and resurfacing works for Coventry City Council.

Leeds City Council has advertised a £12m, four-year deal to provide adaptation works for elderly and disabled adults and disabled children to both privately and potentially publicly owned properties.

Colchester Institute is inviting firms to bid for a £12m scheme to provide phase one of its campus redevelopment. Work includes demolition, site clearance and new build construction.

AWG has appointed Steve Johnson as managing director of its Morrison divisions, Utility Services and Facilities Services. He succeeds David Tydeman who left in the spring. Johnson joins from United Utilities.

James R Knowles, the legal services and dispute resolution group, has been bought for £7m by Hill International.

The prison-building programme is set to expand, with an additional 8,000 prison places announced by home secretary John Reid as part of the putting public protection first initiative.

English Partnerships has submitted an outline planning application to Basildon District Council for the £200m regeneration of the Craylands Estate and the development of the former Fryerns School site in Basildon.

The NewHospitals Consortium (Taylor Woodrow and Innisfree) has reached financial close on the £430m redevelopment of St Helens and Whiston Hospitals, Merseyside.

The NHBC has warned members of the risks of skin cancer during the recent heatwave. As part of its campaign to raise awareness, it has called on workers to look out for colleagues, reduce sun exposure and wear protection.

David Wilson is to build 600 new homes at a prime site in Thurrock, Essex, as part of the Thames Gateway development. The announcement follows work that started on 570 homes at Plough Lane in Wimbledon.

Wates has won a £9.6m contract for the extensive refurbishment of the Sydney Jones Library and Senate House for the University of Liverpool. Work is due to complete at the end of June 2008.

Halcrow has refreshed its nuclear business in accordance with the government's commitment to nuclear power as part of the Energy Review. The business will aim to demonstrate the company's expertise in the nuclear sector.

Currie & Brown has been appointed lead technical adviser to the London Borough of Newham as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Transport Scotland has launched guidance on reducing the visual impact of road furniture on the road network. The guidance sets the standards for the practical management of roadside items such as bus shelters and telephone kiosks.

Buckinghamshire-based Aztec Screeding has been fined £3,000 and ordered to pay £3,028 costs after one of its worker's fingers were partially amputated while working on the Wembley National Stadium project.

[Contract Journal, 26 July 2006, p. 3, 4]