Contract Journal articles from December 2004

Contract Journal archives from December 2004

60-second interview.(Paul McCrae, community development manager, Durkan)(Interview)
December 1, 2004... Paul McCrae, community development manager, Durkan What is your greatest work achievement? Creating employment opportunities for a number of women through the Building Work for Women programme and getting them full-time work with Durkan....

Briggs & Forrester merges M&E units.(mechanical services and electrical services divisions)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Briggs & Forrester, the [pounds sterling]100m-a-year turnover building services contractor, has merged its mechanical services and electrical services divisions. The new division, known as engineering services, will have a combined turnover of...

Daewoo gets ready for new owner and new kit.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Manufacturer targets zero tailswing and telehandler sectors following sale to Doosan. Daewoo is planning to enter the zero tailswing and telehandler markets once its sale to Doosan has gone through. Dae-Ryong Kang, executive managing...

Speedy 'wants to be the hire industry's Tesco' says chief.(Speedy Hire)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... n Turnover and profit rise in third quarter; company looks to 400 depots nationwide. Speedy Hire has reported a 23% increase in group turnover and said it is well on the way to achieving its initial target of 400 depots nationwide....

Safety passport to be mandatory.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... RMC has announced that from 1 April next year no contractors will be allowed to work on any of its sites or quarries without a Safety Passport. Issued by Epic Training and supported by the Quarry Products Association, the passport offers...

Steinweg hit by domestic slump.(restructuring)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... German construction hoist and lift manufacturer Steinweg is restructuring operations as its domestic market remains stagnant. Most of the company's output is destined for the domestic market, including several models tailored to the German...

CPA concern at EC directive.(Construction Plant-hire Association)(European Commission)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) has issued a warning about the disruption a proposed European Commission directive could cause to the UK's construction industry. Speaking after a European Confederation of Equipment Distributors...

Timely workshops.(Freight Transport Association)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The Freight Transport Association (FTA) is running a series of 'Working Time' workshops ahead of the new directive coming into force in March. The directive, from which there is no opt-out, limits drivers to working an average 48-hour week and...

Construction sludge use.(sewage sludge use in construction processes )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Sewage sludge is being diverted from the land and used in construction, according to a report by the Construction Industry Research Information Association. Although traditionally used in agriculture, or disposed at sea, sewage sludge provides...

Five gear up for Welsh road scheme.(welsh assembly)
December 1, 2004... Welsh Assembly accused of failing to keep firms updated on details of the Drome Corner to Ewloe road improvement scheme. Five firms have finally hit the road for a massively delayed roads deal in north Wales, amid accusations that the...

Twelve win [pounds sterling]500m Toon housing deal.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Twelve contractors have unlocked a [pounds sterling]500m housing improvement bonanza in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Potentially the biggest-ever deal of its kind, the project involves upgrading 32,000 council homes and is being rolled out by Your...

Rok's [pounds sterling]100m build boost.(Royal & Sun Alliance-Rok contracts)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Rok has clinched [pounds sterling]100m-worth of new building maintenance work with insurance company Royal & Sun Alliance (R&SA). In the domestic sector Rokforce, Rok's maintenance division, has extended its geographic coverage to take in all...

Sir Robert PFI hospital hit by technical bug.(private finance initiative)
December 1, 2004... n Corbett Hospital opening put on hold after inspectors visit. Sir Robert McAlpine's ailing [pounds sterling]160m Dudley Hospitals PFI contract took a turn for the worse this week when hospital chiefs announced that the opening of the new...

Editor's comment.(construction workers' retirement benefits)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
December 1, 2004... Poor choices, poor future You probably have a decent private pension provision - according to a recent salary survey, 82% of Contract Journal readers do. Granted, unless you are one of the increasingly few members of a final salary scheme,...

Further delays for Jarvis fire stations.(construction of fire stations)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... n Cashflow problems in the autumn impact on delivery dates for [pounds sterling]30m fire station PFI. Jarvis is expected to run more than six months late on its [pounds sterling]30m fire station PFI on Tyneside. CJ reported earlier this...

Health minister promises ProCure 21 transfer to DoH.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Industry campaigners were hailing a victory this week following confirmation that ProCure 21 will be transferred to the Department of Health (DoH) when NHS Estates is abolished. The decision to transfer ProCure 21 to the DoH rather than to the...

Lafarge buys Riskend readymix division.(Lafarge Aggregates-Riskend Aggregates)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Lafarge has bought the readymix business of Scottish materials firm Riskend Aggregates. A company spokesman told CJ: "It's definitely an expansion for Lafarge Aggregates, and it's the first time the company has moved into the Scottish market."...

Call on government to make late payments an offence.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... Sir, While I agree with most of Keith Picot's comments (CJ 3 November), I believe one has to be more specific towards one's subcontractors when dealing with debts. I firmly believe that we have an obligation to pay our subbies on time,...

Materials shortage may pose production threat.(building materials)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A chronic shortage of materials could threaten the production of building materials such as damp proof and roofing, and there will be substantial price increases early next year, manufacturers have warned. Polyethylene suppliers have told firms...

Government rolls out fourth wave of NHS LIFT schemes.(National Health Service Local Improvement Finance Trust)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The long-awaited [pounds sterling]171m, fourth wave of NHS LIFT schemes was launched by health secretary John Reid last week. The nine new LIFT projects in the fourth wave are headed up a trio of larger schemes: The [pounds sterling]37m South...

New programmes on CPD site.(Construction Products Directive)(property ownership regulations)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... More new programmes are being added to Contract Journal's continuous professional development service CPD Construction in December: Common Agricultural Policy Reform discusses the implications for landowners and the actions that should be...

Two bag [pounds sterling]340m Westminster job.(Westminster Transerv-won contract for highways maintenance)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Two consortia have won five-year infrastructure term contracts worth up to [pounds sterling]340.5m in total with the City of Westminster. Westminster Transerv, a joint venture of Balfour Beatty and Mouchel Parkman, has won the term contract...

Amey and BEAR await Scots trunk roads fate.(Babtie, Ennstone and Ringway)(Amey Highways)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Amey Highways and BEAR Scotland will know soon whether their Scottish trunk roads maintenance contracts will be extended beyond the initial five years. Amey secured the south-west and south-east deals, while BEAR (Babtie, Ennstone and Ringway)...

Morrison back on track with [pounds sterling]450m turnover.(Anglian Water Group)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Morrison contributed [pounds sterling]450m of turnover to the Anglian Water Group's (AWG) latest interim results. With the operating margin back to 1.6%, the prospect of a hasty sale is over. Chief operating officer David Tydeman took over the...

Workers face pensions crisis.(retirement benefits of construction workers)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Thousands of construction workers face spending their retirement years below the breadline, Age Concern has warned. Research carried out by the charity shows that 60% of workers in the industry do not have access to a company pension and many...

CITB-ConstructionSkills is on the case.(Construction Industry Training Board )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... CITB-ConstructionSkills operations director Howard Maylard said: "The construction industry is aware of many of the key themes raised in the report and actions are being taken to address them. "The lower framework completion rates for...

Microwave demolition eyed for future.(Institute of Demolition Engineers)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The use of microwave technology to break up structures is being investigated by the Institute of Demolition Engineers (IDE). David Keane, the outgoing IDE president, told the institute's annual general meeting that there were reports of some...

Public and private sectors must communicate better.
December 1, 2004... n Equal Partners 2 report calls for improved communication and a better understanding of the public sector. Customers and suppliers in construction must improve communication, recognise mutual dependency, and work collaboratively to create...

Wilkinson admits to 'lapse' on timber use.(Wilkinson Eyre Architects-investigations)
December 1, 2004... n But architect says the 'vast majority' of timber used in Swansea museum job complies with FSC guidelines. Wilkinson Eyre Architects, the architect working on Mowlem's National Waterfront Museum in Swansea, has admitted to a "very minor...

'We've been robbed,' says UCATT chief.(Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians)
December 1, 2004... "There is a very real feeling that we have been robbed," said Alan Ritchie, general secretary of UCATT, as he confirmed that his union has rejected revised terms and conditions for construction workers employed by the National Health Service....

Higgins pays in 20 days.(Higgins Group's reputation for paying subcontractors)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Higgins Group's reputation for paying subcontractors quickly continues, with latest annual results revealing that average payment time ran to just 20 days, better than the 21-day figure achieved in the previous year. "We've created a reputation...

Mitie sells scaffolding arm.(Mitie Generation)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The sale of scaffolding subsidiary Mitie Generation to a management buy-out (MBO) team knocked a [pounds sterling]9m hole in Mitie Group's latest interim results. Figures for the six months to 30 September show turnover at [pounds...

RICS calls for VAT rethink.(Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors)(Value added tax rates-harmonisation)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has called on the government to tackle the issue of VAT rates on residential newbuild and refurbishment works in a pre-Budget letter to Chancellor Gordon Brown. RICS has called for a...

Sector skills will aid industry performance.(sector skills agreement)(recruitment in construction industry)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A professional industry, fully skilled and delivering what customers require will be the end result when the sector skills agreement (SSA) is fully developed. That is the view of Peter Lobban, chief executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills, who...

Trio wins West Midlands regen job.(Sandwell Homes selected three contractors for social housing regeneration programme)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Taylor Woodrow is one of three contractors chosen for a [pounds sterling]350m social housing regeneration programme in the West Midlands. Arms length management organisation Sandwell Homes, set up by Sandwell Borough Council, selected Taywood,...

Social housing PFIs gather pace.(private finance initiative)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Social housing PFIs are set to gather significant momentum, as long as both public and private sector participants act to mitigate the risks involved, according to a Standard & Poor's report. The 2004 spending review allocated nearly [pounds...

Inspector slams training.(construction training and apprenticeship success rates criticised by David Sherlock, the government's chief inspector)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... n Construction training and apprenticeship success rates nose-dive, drop-out rates increase, says government. The quality of construction training and the level of trainee achievement have been severely criticised by David Sherlock, the...

Support grows for UK directive stance.(Working Time Directive )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Support is growing in the European Parliament for the UK's opposition to the Working Time Directive (WTD) and the Temporary Agency Workers Directive (TAWD), the Construction Products Association has claimed. The group's external affairs...

Peterhouse delivers goods for Babcock.(Peterhouse group and Babcock International group PLC-mergers)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... n [pounds sterling]99m purchase of former Peterhouse Group was the right deal at right time for Babcock. Babcock International is delighted to have the former Peterhouse Group on board. Bought in June, the [pounds sterling]99m acquisition...

NHS deal for Wolseley UK.(National Health Service-plumbing contract)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Wolseley UK has won a four-year deal as preferred supplier to the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency. The company said it went through a six-month pre-qualification and tender process to win an estimated [pounds sterling]10m deal through its...

Parmar's partner in crime faces sentence.(Paul Parmar accused of helping convicted conman)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Only one of the two subcontractors accused of helping convicted conman Paul Parmar defraud three contractors of nearly [pounds sterling]900,000 was found guilty of two charges of conspiracy last week. Backed by false references supplied by...

Review will aim to make Construction Act clearer.(Housing Grants Construction and Regeneration Act)
December 1, 2004... Last week in Contract Journal I examined the review that has been carried out under the chairmanship of Sir Michael Latham into the adjudication provisions of the Housing Grants Construction and Regeneration Act. This review will form the...

Steel industry expects steady prices in 2005.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Slowdown of Chinese economy should lead to lower rises - or even drops - in prices. The steel industry is optimistic about steel prices in 2005 after China raised interest rates to slow expansion. Peter Fish, managing director of steel...

TT helps out with borehole.(TT UK-pipeline installation)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... TT UK has assisted Stockton Drilling of Wakefield with a project to install a sewer effluent outfall pipeline from a new pumping station into the Severn Estuary, adjacent to the 'old' Severn Bridge. Stockton had to turn the 400mm PE pipe 45...

Grants verification muddle.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... Sir, I write with reference to a recent bad experience at the hands of the CITB Grants Verification Unit. We arranged an onsite, one-day electrofusion jointing course for eight employees in October last year and retrospectively claimed the...

back bites.(National House-Building Council)
December 1, 2004... Double talk The great and the good from the housing industry gathered at the Royal Opera House in London's Covent Garden for the National House-Building Council's (NHBC) annual lunch last week. Guest speaker for a surprising second year on the...

Countryside's profit tumbles.(Countryside Properties PLC)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Housebuilder Countryside Prop-erties has unveiled a woeful set of financial results, with pre-tax profit crashing to [pounds sterling]16m ([pounds sterling]36m). Chairman Alan Cherry blamed the result on weaker housing markets. Turnover in the...

Erinaceous spend pays off.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Erinaceous, the property services group, has reported a pre-tax profit of [pounds sterling]1.6m ([pounds sterling]1.2m) on a [pounds sterling]38m ([pounds sterling]21m) turnover in the six months to 30 September. The underlying organic growth...

"We can create more wealth for the industry".(Wolseley)
December 1, 2004... With a [pounds sterling]2bn turnover in the UK, and more than 1,500 outlets, Wolseley is one of the biggest names among building products suppliers. In the past it has tended to keep a low profile, but UK chief executive Adrian Barden is keen...

Adjudicators get qualified.(Charted Institute of Building)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... The Charted Institute of Building (CIoB) is to introduce a recognised qualification for those practising as construction disputes adjudicators. Neil Burton, chairman of the institute's dispute resolution programme committee, said: "Adjudication...

BAA mulls revamp of supplier frameworks.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... n Airports operator hopes that a reshuffle of its supply chain could cut 30% from costs. BAA is considering revamping all its multi-million pound supplier frameworks next year in an attempt to shave 30% off its costs. CJ understands that...

BRE and Inventa team up.(Building Research Establishment)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... The Building Research Establishment (BRE) has formed a partnership with R&D company Inventa to develop research and development opportunities for construction product manufacturers. A spokesman told CJ the Innovation Discovery Programme aims...

back bites.(West Norfolk Council, industry safety.)
December 8, 2004... Safety dogs BT Back bites applauds any efforts to improve the industry's safety, but sometimes, the word 'overreaction' springs to mind. West Norfolk Council has been told by BT to remove 2,000 anti-dog fouling signs from its telephone poles...

Sloan walks out after Benson board bust-up.(Alistair Sloan, Benson Group PLC)
December 8, 2004... n Former chief and board members clash over vision to push Benson from a regional to national contractor. Alistair Sloan's vision of transforming the Benson Group into a national contractor is said to be the reason behind his surprise...

Green light for Brum [pounds sterling]2.2bn highways PFI.(Birmingham)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... Birmingham City Council's (BCC) [pounds sterling]2.2bn, 25-year highways PFI is expected to receive the go-ahead next Monday, after transport minister Tony McNulty finally agreed amendments to the scheme. The news follows a strongly-worded...

Skanska takes [pounds sterling]1.8m hit on Brighton Dome refurb.(Brighton & Hove Council)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... Skanska has taken a [pounds sterling]1.8m hit on its [pounds sterling]38m Brighton Dome refurbishment contract following cost overruns. The contractor had demanded a [pounds sterling]5m settlement from Brighton & Hove Council when the project...

Less vibration from Coleman.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... Demolition contractor Coleman & Co, in conjunction with Marubeni-Komatsu, has developed a mini excavator with a specially designed drilling rig said to greatly reduce vibration exposure. The Komatsu PC09 features special brackets to enable a...

RMC drivers save 7% fuel.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... Driver training at RMC's UK cement division has produced fuel savings of more than 7% in its 154-strong truck fleet - equivalent to a [pounds sterling]332,000 saving. The company's 300 drivers have all undertaken a programme to boost driving...

Strong performance in four out of five Vp units.(Equipment rental)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... n Group turnover up 11% with profit up to [pounds sterling]4.9m, although Hire Station reports a loss. Equipment rental specialist Vp enjoyed strong performances from four of its five divisions in the six months ending 30 September. Only...

UK sales success at Atlas Copco.(united kingdom, Atlas Copco AB)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... Following positive group financial results, Atlas Copco reported its best ever year in the UK for sales of drilling rigs and breakers. The UK's quarrying and construction sectors have been buoyant for Atlas Copco, with sales of equipment...

Euro bank loans [pounds sterling]80m to Russia.(Austria's Raiffeisen)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is making its largest ever loan to Russia. It is lease lending just over [pounds sterling]80m to Austria's Raiffeisen-Leasing for on-lending to Russian businesses. The loan will...

Speedy signs virtual deals.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... Speedy said its investment in IT and management information is allowing Speedy Direct to clinch new deals with the Miller Group and the Makers Group. Miller is streamlining its small tools hire across the UK and will bring 15 sites over to...

Clients responsible for safety planning under CDM 2005 rules.(Construction Design and Management)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... The Revised Construction Design and Management regulations (CDM), set to come into force next year, will place greater emphasis on the involvement of the client and designer in ensuring site safety. The current role of planning supervisor is to...

Commons will grill TubeLines and Metronet.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... TubeLines and Metronet chiefs will face a grilling today by the House of Commons transport committee on the performance of the London Underground PPP. London Underground is expected to stick to the text of its damning report on the PPP,...

Consort jv grabs [pounds sterling]250m PFI.(Consort Healthcare, joint venture,private finance initiative, New York)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... Consort Healthcare, a joint venture between Balfour Beatty and the Royal Bank of Scotland, has finally gained admission to a delayed [pounds sterling]250m PFI hospital deal for the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust. The firm held off a...

Contractors get PFI equity market boost.(private finance initiative)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... n Firms won't have to share windfall gains with the public sector. PFI contractors have heaved sighs of relief at the speed with which the Treasury has acted behind the scenes to head off the National Audit Office's (NAO) examination of...

C Spencer wins Swede bridge job on internet.(Sweden)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... C Spencer has won an export order thanks to the internet. A consortium of Swedish property developers wanted a moving bridge at the Port of Vasteras; the clients carried out web research on moving bridge designs and came across C Spencer's...

David Webster and EDF Energy go for Lambeth.(streetlighting PFI deal)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... Jarvis is no longer in the running for the London Borough of Lambeth's [pounds sterling]35.2m streetlighting PFI deal, writes Brian Warner. A company spokesman said: "Jarvis will not be going forward to the next stage of the selection process."...

Dawn blames 'big hits' for its [pounds sterling]5m loss.(Dawn Construction)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... Dawn Construction has unveiled a loss of [pounds sterling]5m. "We had one bad year and took some big hits," managing director Ray Eve said. He insisted all the bad news is over now. "The jobs we are doing in the current financial year are all...

Editor's comment.(Highways Agency)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
December 8, 2004... A long and winding road The Highways Agency (HA) has been one of the public sector's leading procuring authorities. A former Client of the Year at the Contract Journal Awards, and an ever-present on the shortlist, it has been praised for...

Eight up for [pounds sterling]150m Bristol BSF.(Building Schools for the Future)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... Eight consortia have expressed interest in bidding for Bristol's Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme, worth [pounds sterling]150m in its first phase. A spokesman said: "We are whittling eight down to a medium list. We will then issue...

HA reviews maintenance resources.(Highways Agency)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... The Highways Agency (HA) is considering a multi-million pound construction programme to increase the number of maintenance depots it has across its 14 network areas in England. The move comes partly in response to criticism the HA received...

Highways deals face regional interference.(Highways Agency)
December 8, 2004... n Months could be added to ECI schemes as regional transport boards squeeze out Highways Agency. Civils contractors are worried they will face a drought of highways work in the new year after a drive by the Department for Transport (DfT)...

How to.(strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... ... conduct a SWOT analysis A SWOT analysis investigates business opportunities by itemising strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). Individuals mulling over career decisions can use it to form a personal development plan....

Interpreting 'choice ; of law' clauses.(contracts)
December 8, 2004... Companies involved in exporting or trading overseas have to take particular care over the drafting of their contracts, including precisely clarifying the law under which the contract will be operated. In the case of The Shamil Bank of Bahrain...

Isuzu slashes Rodeo prices.(Isuzu Motors Ltd.)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... Isuzu has cut the price of its Rodeo pick-ups by up to [pounds sterling]2,500. The single-cab Rodeo 2.5DT 4x2 is reduced by more than [pounds sterling]2,300 to [pounds sterling]8,995 (on-the-road, ex-VAT) and the double cab has come down to...

Jarvis sells TubeLines.(industry news)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... n Financial buyer eyes TubesLines stake with a bid of more than [pounds sterling]100m, which could secure the group's future. Jarvis is reported to have agreed a price for the sale of its equity stake in TubeLines, with the figure estimated...

Lafarge fulfils pension pledge.(Letter to the Editor)
December 8, 2004... Sir, In the 20 October edition of Contract Journal, you ran a story regarding our employee pension scheme. The story stated: "In the first instance, the company has promised a huge increase in employer contributions." For clarification, I...

Communication is the key.(Letter to the Editor)
December 8, 2004... Sir, I am writing to comment on Michael Sullivan's 'Recruitment challenges' article in the recently published Focus on Quantity Surveying supplement (CJ 27 October). While I agree with the majority of the article, I feel that the comments...

Buckingham beats A McAlpine.(Alfred McAlpine)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... Silverstone-based contractor Buckingham Group has replaced Alfred McAlpine on the [pounds sterling]42m contract to design and build a 30,000-seat stadium for football club Milton Keynes Dons. The [pounds sterling]35m-turnover private company...

Construction groups take safety pledge.(Safety and Health at Work)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... The most senior organisations within the European Union (EU) construction sector have signed up to a policy to improve health and safety in what remains one of Europe's most dangerous industries. The European Construction Industry Federation;...

Northumbria continues with Alfred McAlpine.(Alfred McAlpine Construction Ltd, Northumbrian Water Group PLC)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... Alfred McAlpine has won a follow-on deal from Northumbrian Water worth [pounds sterling]40m to [pounds sterling]50m. The scope of work includes mains rehabilitation and maintenance throughout Northumbria's entire operating area. The new...

ODPM shouldn't meddle in building specification.(Office of the Deputy Prime Minister)
December 8, 2004... Construction Products Association says government should focus on performance levels. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) should concentrate on performance levels and stay out of the debate on materials and construction...

Ofwat spending plans scrutinised.(investment programme)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2004... Water companies are considering appeals to the Competition Commission (CC) after Ofwat set infrastructure spending plans last week. Companies have until early February to respond to Ofwat's plans after the regulator announced more than [pounds...