News in brief: 10 January 2007 (p3)

Henry Boot has become the second late addition to a list of five original contractors tackling the UK's biggest homes upgrade scheme - Sheffield City Council's £660m Decent Homes project. Late last year, the council also took on Wates to join existing contractors Connaught, Keepmoat, Kier, Lovell and Mears.

Family Mosaic Housing has advertised a four-year framework deal worth anything between £60m and £400m for housing regeneration schemes in London. Up to 15 contractors will be appointed.

The Scottish Executive has given the green light for a £100m, 700-cell prison at Low Moss in East Dunbartonshire. The prison is likely to be tendered as a PFI.

Craven District Council is seeking a long-term development partner to develop five strategic sites in Skipton worth an estimated £50m. Schemes include new council offices, refurbishment of the listed Town Hall and residential opportunities.

The Highways Agency is inviting firms to bid for a £51.8m scheme to widen the M27 between junctions 3 and 4 to the north of Southampton from three lanes to four, plus hard shoulder.

Arms length management organisation Dale & Valley Homes is looking for firms to bid for its £40m Decent Homes programme in County Durham. The work is due for completion by 2012.

A man was killed and three injured at a Lafarge cement site in Northfleet, when a concrete ring inside a steel tube kiln they were working on gave way. The dead man, working for contractor Les Huffey, was Polish and in his late 40s. He was carrying out routine maintenance when he was killed.

Breyer Group, the general building and specialist roofing contractor, has unveiled a pre-tax profit of £430,000, which represents a margin of 1%. Latest results (12 months to 31 May 2006) show turnover running to £40m (previous year's figure: £37m).

[Contract Journal, 10 January 2007, p3]