Clancy Docwra sees turnover jump to £170m

Clancy Docwra has pushed annual turnover up to £170m, a rise of £30m, thanks to an increase in workload in two of its four divisions - water and rail.

Latest annual results (12 months to 31 March) show pre-tax profit higher at £2.5m (comparable figure in previous year: £2.0m).

Clancy has four operating divisions: water, energy, infrastructure and rail.

Of these, water is the big hitter and accounted for 75% of Clancy’s group turnover, with the start of the water utilities AMP4 investment programme leading to a lift in demand.

Existing contracts and alliances were retained with Thames Water, Southern, Anglian, South East and Three Valleys Water. Since the financial year-end, Clancy has won a new award with Mid-Kent Water, previously held by May Gurney.

The group’s biggest single water contract is the Victorian mains replacement project with Thames Water. Clancy is one of four contractors working with Thames, its territory covering both North East London and the City DMA (district metered area).

“We reached a major milestone with the first one hundred miles of pipe completed by the Clancy Docwra team,” said Colin Waugh, Clancy assistant director. “To date the contract value exceeds £50m.

“We were also successful in being awarded a similar agreement to replace the mains in and around Brighton for Southern Water.”

Water-related turnover is set to rise further as Clancy has become the delivery partner, in joint venture with Veolia Water, for utility client Scottish Water. “A four-year framework agreement, it confirms our status as a national contractor,” said Waugh.

Further expansion in the north of England and Scotland, based on Clancy’s southern experience, remains a key target.

The energy division showed “promising results”. Waugh said that the multi-utility concept now well established in Scotland and the north west has still to reach critical mass in the south.

Newer operations in the rail division showed mixed results. Five-year framework agreements with Metronet and Tubelines are still bedding down.

Clancy has supported Viacom Outdoor in its successful £800m bid for the London Underground advertising contract. It runs for 10 years and Clancy is now negotiating over the input it would like to provide to see that adverts are put in place.