In brief: 7th Feburary 2007, (p3)

Birmingham City Council has advertised its Building Schools for the Future programme, which is worth £820m over six phases. It will cover 80 secondary schools, some primary schools and up to seven academy schools. Phase One is worth £195m.

Accord has scored 181 out of a possible 225 on the Highways Agency's third round of Capability Assessment Toolkit scoring.

Norfolk County Council is inviting contractors to bid for its four-year general building framework contract worth between £100m and £120m. Up to five firms may be appointed.

White Young Green has bought Turner Holden, a privately owned town planning consultancy based in Wellington, Somerset, for £900,000.

The London Borough of Hillingdon is seeking contractors to tender for a £55m contract to construct a three-storey extension block at Uxbridge High School in north-west London.

Inspace has taken two housing deals worth £42m in total with Places for People, the UK's largest housing and regeneration group.

A £31m scheme is up for grabs in the shape of the redevelopment of Luton Sixth Form College, Hertfordshire. The 15,800m2 building will include a refectory, classrooms and office accommodation.

David Tydeman has been appointed to the board of Skanska UK as executive vice-president.

Taylor Woodrow Construction has won a £30m contract with British Airways to design and build three buildings at Heathrow Airport.

Glasgow Housing Association is looking for housebuilders to pitch for its £31m phase two new build programme. Some 410 housing units will be built at nine sites in the city.

Nearly 1,775 construction firms went into liquidation last year, according to latest insolvency figures.

Galliford Try is in takeover talks with Linden Holdings, the £280m-a-year housebuilder.

[Contract Journal, 7th Feburary 2007, p3]