Sec Group updates non-retention client list

The Specialist Engineering Contractors’ (SEC) Group has expanded its list of clients not using retentions on their projects.

SEC Group hopes that contractors will now be able to use the list to pick and choose enlightened clients to work with in the future.

SEC Group has calculated that £3.5bn is now held in retentions at any one time across the industry – £500m of which is held unnecessarily by main contractors.

SEC Group chief executive Rudi Klein said: “We would ask other companies to help us add to the list, but to also advise us if those on the list have changed their position on retentions.

“You may find that a new person will come into the post and change a client’s policy on their use.”

The A-Z of Who’s not using retentions:

• ALDI
• Allerdale Borough Council
• ARENA
• Argos
• Astra Zeneca UK Ltd
• Aylesbury Vale District Council
• Birmingham Airport
• Birmingham City Council (as part of the Birmingham Construction Partnership)
• Bloor Homes
• BMS Pharmaceuticals
• Boots the Chemists
• Borough Council of Kings Lynn & West Norfolk (for long-term contracts)
• British Airways
• British Gypsum
• British Nuclear Fuels (on their de-commissioning programmes.)
• British Sugar
• Bromsgrove District Housing Trust
• Bromford Housing Group
• BT
• Cardiff WwTW
• Carillion (provided that the client does not require retentions)
• Circle33
• Cisco Systems
• City of Sunderland
• Colt Telecomms
• Coventry University
• Defence Estates Organisation
• Delta Healthcare
• DeVere Hotels
• Derwentside District Council
• Eli Lily
• Environment Agency
• Evesham & Pershore
• Housing Association
• First Hydro
• General Motors (Vauxhall)
• Hewlett Packard
• Highways Agency
• Homebase
• John Lewis Partnerships
• Laing O’Rourke (on ProCure21 projects)
• Lemon Zest
• Lloyds TSB
• Lovell Partnerships
• Lubrizol
• National Grid Transco (on framework contracts)
• National Westminster Bank
• Norfolk County Council (Framework Agreement)
• North Tyneside District Council
• North Wales Police
• Northumberland Country Council
• Northumbrian Water
• Oxford University
• O2
• Peterborough City Council
• Portsmouth WwTW
• Prison Service (Framework Agreement)
• Reading University
• Rushcliffe Borough Council
• Sainsburys
• Sandwell Homes
• Sapporo Teppanyaki
• Slough Estates
• Stanhope
• Taunton District Council
• Tesco
• Tewkesbury Borough Council (where contracts are under seal)
• Thames Valley Police (never deduct retentions on direct contracts)
• Toyota UK
• Tyne & Wear Fire Authority (also operates project bank accounts)
• Unilever (but they may require retentions when using a PQS)
• University of Leeds
• University of Manchester
• US Army (when procuring construction work in UK)
• Vodafone
• West Mercia Housing Group
• Winkworth
• Wyre Forest
• Community Housing
• Yorkshire Water
• Welsh Water (framework agreement)