Back bites and other bits: 6 December 2006

Lording it
What's worse than a nimbyist? How about a nimbyist who was a building contractor in a former life? BAE Systems and Bovis Homes had plans to build new 2,000 homes near Filton Airport in South Gloucestershire. But the £100m development has run into trouble, after retired builder Timothy Shorland raised an objection.

And the basis of that objection? As Lord of the Manor of Hempton and Northwick, a title he bought in 1990 for the princely sum of £7,500, he claims it infringes his right to farm rabbits on the site, as bestowed by a Royal Charter issued back in 1331.

BAE is so concerned by the unusual claim that it has asked the High Court to rule on whether Lord Shorland really does have entitlements under the charter. They could be forgiven for thinking, "Lord have mercy".

CIS goes on tour
Liz Bridge, the Construction Confederation tax guru, has been on a gruelling 40-stop tour of the country promoting the CIS scheme before it comes in next year.

No reports as yet of misbehaviour, but apparently they are now talking of producing a commemorative souvenir. A 'Liz Bridge CIS tour' tee-shirt to mark the event should be hitting the shops very soon.

Don't bet on it
Still on the CIS, and a new suggestion has come in to get subbies on board for the scheme - print details on a William Hill betting slip. It's probably the only way to get through to them, says an industry insider.

Run for your money
If you want a company that is going to finish things quickly, it seems that Arup is the name to bear in mind. Its entrants in the construction industry half-marathon championships, held as part of the Windsor Half Marathon, swept the boards, with a lone individual from Price & Myers the only interloper in an all-Arup winning line-up.

It was all in aid of a good cause, too: industry charity CRASH and the Prince Philip Trust benefited from the £68,000 raised by the event. If you want to give Arup a run for its money, next year's event will be held at Windsor on 30 September.

Can it get any worse?
Do press officers ever tell the truth? Well the answer, shocking as it may seem to some, is that they sometimes do. And here's what we can offer by way of an example. We put in a call to the press office at Atkins to enquire about some rumoured take-over bid and what do we get?

Some silk-tongued smoothie?

No, not a bit of it. Rather, the press officer instantly recognised the gruff incoming voice and fired off on automatic, saying: "Just when we thought it couldn't get any worse, we get a call from John Leitch."

So did our business editor get upset at the repost from Andrew Wills? of course not. He was delighted by the response and even decided to offer the consultancy group's truth facilitator a tipple. After all, when you're viewed as being cantankerous, you have a reputation to maintain

Number of the week: 6bn
Revised estimated capital cost, in pounds, of Crossrail, a £1.5bn reduction thanks to value engineering.

[Contract Journal, 06  December 2006, p 44]