Contract Journal articles from January 2007

Contract Journal archives from January 2007

Streetlighting procurement revamp.(01 News)(Brief article)
January 10, 2007... The government's [pounds sterling]694m privately financed (PFI) streetlighting programme is to test drive a new form of procurement, which, if it proves successful, will be used to procure the Department for Transport's (DfT's) [pounds...

Wainhomes brought back down to earth by council.(01 News)(Brief article)
January 10, 2007... A luxury housing development is set to be bulldozed after it was built 5ft higher than permitted. Wainhomes has been told that it has until February to tear down the [pounds sterling]2m block of 14 apartments in Wigan. Wigan Council...

Confusion over CSCS card enforcement.(01 News)(construction skills certification scheme )(Brief article)
January 10, 2007... There was confusion this week over how effective the Major Contractors Group (MCG) has been in enforcing the use of valid CSCS cards, as up to 12,000 site workers returned from the Christmas break with an application still pending. The MCG...

04 Contracts.(Architect Sturgis Associates )(Brief article)
January 10, 2007... H-BLOCK: Architect Sturgis Associates has submitted a planning application to the City of Westminster to upgrade a mixed-use scheme in the heart of London's West End. The [pounds sterling]20m proposed development for Greycoat Estates and City...

Five hit with fines over death fall.(01 News)(Brief article)
January 10, 2007... A Manchester demolition contractor was among five parties ordered to pay a total fine of [pounds sterling]87,000 and [pounds sterling]57,228 costs, following the death of an untrained demolition worker in 2002. David Moran fell eight...

Lost planning appeal spells trouble for NCC.(01 News)(National Construction College)
January 10, 2007... National Construction College could be forced to scale down following local council's rejection of plans. neil.gerrard@rbi.co.uk The National Construction College (NCC) East faces an uncertain future according to...

NSCC welcomes new Fair Payment Charter.(01 News)(National Specialist Contractors Council )(Brief article)
January 10, 2007... The National Specialist Contr-actors' Council (NSCC) has welcomed new best practice, to be adopted by public-sector clients, that recommends payment to contractors 'will not exceed 30 days'. The NSCC revealed details of the Fair Payment...

Pihl & Son nets Danish first with schools win.(04 Contracts)
January 10, 2007... Contractor wins [pounds sterling]110m Aberdeen PPP deal and closes in on Liverpool museum job. Pihl & Son has become the first Danish contractor to chalk up victory on a PPP schools deal in the UK. And sources say the firm is also...

Four firms plug into [pounds sterling]2bn EDF Energy revamp work.(04 contracts)(Brief article)
January 10, 2007... Four outfits are to take a share of the first phase of more than [pounds sterling]2bn-worth of network revamp schemes being rolled out by EDF Energy. The initial tranche of work centres on upgrading the company's 70,000 substations...

Gleeson bags Leeds mixed-use deal.(04 contracts)(Brief article)
January 10, 2007... Gleeson Building has taken a [pounds sterling]17.2m deal for a mixed-use development in Leeds. The client is One Brewery Wharf, a subsidiary of Rushbond, and the scheme features 151 apartments over 12 floors, four office units on the...

Five bid for Olympic power station.(01 News)
January 10, 2007... Five firms are set to pick up the tender paperwork for the design and build of a key 132/11kv electrical substation within the Olympic Park planned for Stratford, east London. The Olympic Delivery Authority has lined up EDF Energy...

Three in line for [pounds sterling]200m Scottish PPP roads deal.(01 News)
January 10, 2007... contract news Three groups are gearing up to pitch for a [pounds sterling]200m PPP roads deal north of the border. Transport Scotland's project to upgrade the M80, one of the country's most heavily used routes, has attracted the Connect...

Concrete stands firm over cost model study.(11 Letters)(Letter to the editor)
January 10, 2007... Sir, With reference to Derek Tordoff's questioning of the use of short spans for cost model studies of commercial buildings (CJ 6 December), I would like to remind him that 6m and 7.5m spans form the basis for the steel industry's own cost...

14 back page.
January 10, 2007... What we want for 2007 Welcome back, and a happy new year from everyone at Contract Journal and contractjournal.com. New year is the traditional time to produce some wishlists for the UK's construction industry. First and foremost...

Laggers urged to accept employers' 21% pay deal.(01 News)
January 10, 2007... Laggers in the thermal insulation contracting sector are voting again this month on a proposed three-year pay deal, worth a total of 21%, after initially rejecting the employers' offer. The pay package, which affects some 6,000 to 7,000...

Canadian IT firm looks to buy Redsky.(01 news'; Explore Technology Inc.)
January 10, 2007... Redsky, the IT software group, is in the process of being sold to Explore, a Canadian-based IT group run by Jim McFarlane, who started the business up 10 years ago. Redsky's employees were told at the end of last week that their company's...

Cape's good hope for Interserve fades.(02 business)
January 10, 2007... Interserve has confirmed that rival contractor Cape made a move for its industrial services division - but nothing came of it and Cape is apparently no longer interested. The merger had a commercial logic as both companies have overlapping...

Gleeson chief earns permanent status.(02 business; MJ Gleeson Group)
January 10, 2007... Stand-in chief executive Wallwork impresses board with [pounds sterling]87m reduction of debt. john.leitch@rbi.co.uk Paul Wallwork, who has been acting as interim group chief executive for the past six months, has become MJ Gleeson...

Wrekin Construction loses chief executive.(01 News)
January 10, 2007... Wrekin Construction, which dived into the red two years ago, has lost its leader. John Worthington, brought in as chief executive to sort out the group's troubles, is no longer at the helm. "He has left us," said Dr Simon Frain, the...

02 Business.(briefs)
January 10, 2007... city watch Source: Thomson DataStream 2006 annual share price performance Keller's share price (pence) j f m a m j j a s o n d Steppe Cement's share price (pence) j f m a m j j a s o n d Keller Keller issued...

Share sales secure [pounds sterling]1m-plus windfalls.(02 Business)
January 10, 2007... John Severs, managing director of Severfield-Rowen, and Duncan Davidson, chairman of Persimmon, have each secured more than a million in cash as a result of selling company shares. Of the two, Severs scooped the larger handful of readies,...

01 News.
January 10, 2007... 8 February 2007 acents CJ Conference: Building for London Cavendish Conference Centre, London - The run-up to 2012 is a golden opportunity for Britain's construction industry, with billions of pounds worth of work to be won. Find...

SMEs get set for Olympic race.(small and medium sized enterprises)
January 10, 2007... The Chartered Institute of Building and the South East Centre for the Built Environment are running a training programme, Bidding for Gold, to help SMEs in the South East compete against the majors. Justin Stanton finds out more. ...

Construction recognised at Queen's awards.(01 News)
January 10, 2007... Stef Stefanou, chairman of John Doyle Group, and Peter Rogers, Stanhope director, were among the construction industry-related players to be recognised in the New Year honours. Stefanou received the OBE for services to the construction...

Cemex fails in carbon emissions challenge.(05 Products and Materials)
January 10, 2007... Cemex UK has failed in a High Court challenge to meet a limit imposed by the government on its carbon dioxide emissions and the way the government handles emissions allocation. The aggregates giant had asked judge Mr Justice Sullivan to...

Material concerns for homes code.(05 Products and Materials)(Brief article)
January 10, 2007... While welcoming the principles of the new Code for Sustainable Homes, the Construction Products Association has expressed disappointment that it does not provide greater recognition for sustainable building materials. The association is...

Demolition firms face hike in disposal costs.(05 Products and Materials)
January 10, 2007... Demolition contractors face a massive escalation in waste disposal costs after 2008, the National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC) has warned. The warning comes after the pre-Budget report confirmed a [pounds sterling]3 per...

Government accused of logging 'greenwash'.(Central Point of Expertise on Timber)
January 10, 2007... Environmental groups slam government for approving 'unsustainable' timber products. Environmental groups are accusing the government of 'greenwashing' bad logging practices by allowing its departments to purchase wood products certified by...

[pounds sterling]750m invested in local hospitals.(01 News)
January 10, 2007... Government's new Community Venture model set to deliver 20 community hospitals. carol.millett@rbi.co.uk A [pounds sterling]750m programme to build 20 community hospitals over the next five years has been launched by the government...

Ditching PFIs may be a 'logical conclusion'.(11 Letters)(Letter to the editor)
January 10, 2007... Sir, I was extremely concerned about inferences in your article under the front page headline 'Health scare for PFIs' (CJ 6 December). If Bradford Hospitals has decided that best value for its building projects can be achieved by its...

05 products and materials.(Brief article)
January 10, 2007... CULTURE CLUB: As part of the restoration of Grade II-listed Victorian warehouses in Liverpool, the basement area of the Buddleia project has been protected using waterproofing systems from Sika. The project will provide employment and a...

01 News.
January 10, 2007... STUBBED OUT: David Mclean Contractors has banned all informal smoking breaks during working hours in the lead-up to legislation banning smoking in public places later this year. The company's managing director Mike Wickham described the move as...

01 News.
January 10, 2007... Spice Girls -vs- Gordon Brown Every year brings its own challenges, so as we embark upon this new year, we thought we'd ask what readers of www.contractjournal.com most dread in 2007. Just over one in five (23%) are not looking forward to...

Constructing Better Health plans for national roll-out.(01 News)
January 10, 2007... Constructing Better Health (CBH), the industry-backed occupational health initiative, has set out its plans for how a national roll-out will be delivered following a successful pilot. The plans include: A national database linked to a...

Cleveland Bridge gets green light to appeal over Wembley Stadium.(01 News)
January 10, 2007... Cleveland Bridge has been given the go-ahead to appeal in its multi-million pound legal battle over the new [pounds sterling]757m Wembley Stadium project. Lord Justice May, sitting with Lady Justice Smith at the Appeal Court in London,...

Milton Keynes scaffold death inquest reopens.(01 News)(Brief article)
January 10, 2007... An inquest into the death of worker John Robinson following the Milton Keynes scaffolding collapse last April is due to reopen on 22 January and will last two weeks. Robinson's death followed the collapse of 14 storeys of scaffolding...

NR to streamline rail renewals operation.(01 News)(Network Rail)
January 10, 2007... As part of a [pounds sterling]150m cost-saving move, Network Rail will reduce renewals firms to four. ross.pearman@rbi.co.uk Network Rail (NR) is risking contractor apathy, say rail sources, after announcing that it is to streamline...

Industry fraud may cost Games [pounds sterling]250m.(01 News)
January 10, 2007... Experts estimate that fraud could cost the Olympics around 5% of its projected [pounds sterling]5bn bill. There is the potential for [pounds sterling]250m to be lost in fraud during construction works for the 2012 Olympic Games. This...

01 News.(Willmott Dixon Holdings Ltd. completes health care centre )(Brief article)
January 10, 2007... BRIGHT IDEA: Willmott Dixon is nearing completion of a new [pounds sterling]18m health care centre in Hounslow, built under an NHS Lift agreement between Building Better Health and Hounslow Primary Care Trust. The five-storey centre, which...

01 News.
January 10, 2007... 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 [pounds sterling]660m Decent Homes project. Late last year, the council also took on...

01 News.
January 10, 2007... In brief ISG Jackson has secured an [pounds sterling]8.5m contract with Essex County Council to build a new 120-pupil special needs school in Basildon. Work is due to commence in mid-January, with completion set for May 2008. Linpave...

01 News.
January 10, 2007... WAR TORN: Higgins Construction has demolished 34 post-war Airey prefabricated houses for Circle Anglia's [pounds sterling]6.5m development in Sawston, Cambridgeshire. These will make room for 44 eco-friendly, timber-frame houses for affordable...

01 News.(Dawson WAM constructing pumping station)(Brief article)
January 10, 2007... GO WITH THE FLOW: Dawson WAM is constructing a new pumping station at Lough Foyle at Pennyburn in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The new facility will transfer combined sewage flows forward from approximately 70% of the Londonderry catchment...

Vandalism threatens site workers' safety.(01 News)
January 10, 2007... Housing developer Britannia Developments says saboteurs are putting workers' lives at risk by tampering with machinery on a building site in Calderdale. A campaign of vandalism at the controversial housing development at Phoebe Lane,...

Sustainability: time for action.(11 Letters)(Letter to the editor)
January 10, 2007... Sir, I applaud the efforts of WRAP and the Strategic Forum (SF)*to reduce waste and improve the use of resources within the construction industry. All members of the supply chain should look to embrace this challenge and prove they are...

10BIG ISSUES CONSTRUCTION WILL FACE INe_SFlb 2007.(08 Features)
January 10, 2007... If you thought 2006 was bad for red tape, there's plenty more on the way this year. Will Mann sifts through the worst of it. Free-standing harassment claims Last year's House of Lords' decision in the Majrowski -vs- Guys & St. Thomas'...

14 Back Page.
January 10, 2007... At what point during a building's construction will it switch from an open space to enclosed premises, which are covered by the Act. Champagne lifestyle It's good to know that any rash promises made by company bosses in the heady rush...

Manufacturers vie for truck pole position.(06 Plant)
January 17, 2007... Truck sales above 3.5t ended 5.5% lower in 2006 than the previous year, while van sales edged a little higher, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Daf remains top of the 3.5t-plus league table,...

AMA Research predicts growth for hire/access.(06 Plant)(construction industry)(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... AMA Research is predicting a rise in fortunes for the UK plant hire and access equipment markets over the next three years. Its latest report, Plant Hire Market - UK 2006, estimates the market was worth [pounds sterling]2.8bn in 2006 and...

Andover launches XLE range.(Andover trailers)(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... Andover trailers has added a new range of Goldhofer extendable low loaders to its offering. The XLE trailer can carry payloads up to 110t and offers a lower kerb weight with higher axle loading. Fully extended, the deck measures 16.5m, but...

Theft tops the agenda at plant registration forum.(01 News)
January 17, 2007... Vernon Coaker, parliamentary under secretary of state in the Home Office, will make a video presentation for the official launch of the plant registration scheme at the Construction Industry Theft Solutions (CITS) Forum next Tuesday. Also...

MCG makes smooth switch to CPCS cards.(Major Contractors Group)(Construction Plant Competence Scheme)(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... The deadline for general plant operators on Major Contractors Group (MCG) members' sites to hold Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS) cards has passed with few problems. MCG member Costain said it has turned away a few people for not...

01 News.(Powered Access Interest Group)(Platform operators should wear safety harnesses)(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... Platform operators urged to wear full-body harness The Powered Access Interest Group (PAIG) has called on the industry to support its 'Clunk Click' campaign to get occupants of boom-type access platforms to wear full-body harnesses with...

Diesel filter requirement hampers London tenders.(06 Plant)(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... Contractors and hire firms bemoan increased difficulties and costs due to DPF legislation. The need to fit diesel particulate filters (DPFs) to some plant on designated London sites is causing contractors and plant hirers problems...

Speedy Lifting forms alliancewith GGR-Unic.(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... Speedy Lifting has teamed up with GGR-Unic for the supply of mini cranes and vacuum glass lifting equipment. The alliance means that if a Speedy customer requires a mini crane, the hire company will contact GGR for the machine. Speedy will...

Volvo launches C-Series range.(06 Plant)
January 17, 2007... Complete with Stage IIIa-compliant engines, the new crawlers and wheeled excavators boast an array of upgrades. Volvo is updating its crawler and wheeled excavators with a C-Series range, which it claims is the most fuel efficient in the...

06 Plant.(A-Plant supplies equipments for Balfour Beatty Utilities)(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... A-Plant has supplied Balfour Beatty Utilities with around [pounds sterling]400,000 worth of equipment for work on a major gas mains replacement contract with Northern Gas Networks. The deal sees A-Plant supplying the contractor with...

06 Plant.(production capacity)(brief)(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... In brief In its first full year as a JCB company, Vibromax has seen production capacity doubled, ride-on machine sales increase by 67% and employee numbers rise to more than 200. JCB has invested around [pounds sterling]700,000 in the...

Terex renames minis, midis and loaders.(06 Plant)
January 17, 2007... Terex has rebranded its mini/midi excavators and small-wheel loaders. In place of the HR prefix, the excavators will now carry TC (for Terex Crawler excavator) branding, as used on the larger models. For example, the HR1.6 becomes the TC16...

09 Special Report.
January 17, 2007... Hire and hire How much more growth is there in tool hire? Pages 20-22 New broom Can Graham Arundel boost the HAE's profile?Pages 24 Major row Will manufacturers yield to the MCG's safety demands?Pages 26-27 Micros'...

13 People.(training of contractors)(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... Last year was a good year for industry training. The launch of the National Skills Academy for Construction in November was a major highlight. The Academy approach firmly places employers in the driving seat, helping to ensure that future...

01 News.
January 17, 2007... The Construction Confederation (CC) has urged main contractors to spare subbies unnecessary cashflow problems by checking before they pay anyone at the 30% deduction rate under the new Construction Industry Scheme (CIS). CC director of...

01 News.(management)(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... swamped with work: If you've ever wondered what animal the construction industry is most like, you now have your answer: it's a hippo. The unusual findings come as part of a survey by Stephen Berry, author of 'Strategies of the Serengeti', who...

01 News.(Specialist Engineering Contractors (SEC) Group )(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... The Specialist Engineering Contractors (SEC) Group has revealed that its retention-free list of clients now represents around 12% of annual construction turnover, according to chief executive Rudi Klein. The revelation came as SEC Group...

09 Special Report.(hand tool testing)
January 17, 2007... Headlines have been made recently by the Major Contractors' Group's (MCG) decision to require hand tools used on its sites to be submitted for independent, real-life vibration testing. For a start, not all manufacturers have been happy to...

01 News.(Charterhouse sues Hannaford Upright )(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... Renowned public school Charterhouse is suing consulting engineers Hannaford Upright for damages of more than [pounds sterling]1m after refurbishment work left boarding houses too cold. The school alleges Hannaford made errors of design,...

Housing, offices to the fore.(03 Benchmark)(Survey)
January 17, 2007... The public housing and private commercial sectors continued to shore up new construction orders in the period to November. Justin Stanton reports. New construction orders were worth [pounds sterling]11.1bn in value terms in the three...

The best benchmark.(07 Analysis)
January 17, 2007... The feedback that companies get from entering the Contract Journal Best Places to Work in Construction Awards is invaluable. Justin Stanton reports How your company can take part

01 News.(Hugh Robertson criticises Tessa Jowell)(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... Opposition spokesman for the Olympics and sport, Hugh Robertson, has called for a full-time Olympics minister, criticising Tessa Jowell for failing to devote enough time to the project amid criticisms of spiralling costs. The Hatfield rail...

04 Contracts.
January 17, 2007... Sources say that Bovis Lend Lease is emerging as firm favourite to snap up a [pounds sterling]200m regeneration deal in Gloucester. It looks like Bovis has seen off a pitch from Sir Robert McAlpine, its only rival for the scheme being...

Hall gets the go-ahead for Leigh stadium.(01 News)
January 17, 2007... County Durham-based Hall Construction has won its fifth major stadium contract with a [pounds sterling]17.5m deal for the Leigh Sports Village Stadium near Wigan. The scheme comprises a stadium for 10,000 spectators to be used by all the...

04 Contracts.(housing contracts)(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... Mansell holds the key to a [pounds sterling]41.5m housing deal near Northampton. Through a four-year framework agreement negotiated with Metropolitan Housing Partner-ship, the firm will design and build 345 eco-friendly homes at Upton. ...

04 Contracts.(Skanska/GrantRail team contracts)(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... GAME ON: A Skanska/GrantRail team has taken a [pounds sterling]39m deal to extend the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to Stratford International station. The job includes new platforms, track alignment and the shell and foundations of a new...

04 Contracts.(Allenbuild)(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... Allenbuild has beaten off its closest rival, Wates, to register a [pounds sterling]17.5m education-sector deal for the Diocese of Sheffield. The contractor is expected to start on site in March on the Rossington All Saints School, near...

04 Contracts.
January 17, 2007... Skanska has taken a [pounds sterling]64m deal to build an office complex at Crown Place in the City of London. The scheme, for Greycoat Crown Place Partnership, comprises 26,000m2 of office space and a 600m2 retail area over 18 storeys and...

01 News.(Skanska)(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... Skanska poised for [pounds sterling]77m relief road Skanksa is now leading the field for the construction of Dorset County Council's [pounds sterling]77m Weymouth Relief Road. Sources say the contractor and its consultant partner Owen...

01 News.(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... Three bidders are in the running for the [pounds sterling]229m privately financed Eniskillen acute hospital scheme in Northern Ireland. The three shortlisted firms are: Consort Healthcare (Balfour Beatty and John Graham (Dromore) Ltd)...

Touch and go for healthcare sector.(07 Analysis)
January 17, 2007... Major delays in the funding of healthcare provision have hit contractors and PFI players hard, with NHS LIFT and ProCure 21 schemes being shelved. Carol Millett asks whether the sector can be resuscitated. Contractors in the healthcare...

Barnet unveils [pounds sterling]90m non-PFI schools deal.(01 News)
January 17, 2007... Local authority goes for new funding approach to deliver 11 primary schools in first phase of programme. carol.millett@rbi.co.uk Barnet Council has kick-started the government's [pounds sterling]17bn Primary Schools Capital Investment...

14 Back Page.(London's Olympic Delivery Authority's labor relations with unions)(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... The ODA needs to encourage local training programmes and apprenticeships, and not rely on cheap foreign labour. Employing good sense When London won the 2012 Olympics, it was hailed as a wonderful opportunity for Britain's construction...

New man at the HAE helm.(09 Special Report)
January 17, 2007... The Hire Association Europe has been a bit quiet over the past few years, but new managing director Graham Arundell plans to change that. Phil Bishop caught up with him. This is going to be a big year for the Hire Association Europe,...

Stewards to meet on pay.(01 News)(site stewards plan to meet building materials contractors)(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... Site stewards in the engineering construction industry are scheduled to meet next Thursday to consider the detailed final proposals for a new national agreement on pay and conditions. The new deal is set to supersede the 25-year-old NAECI...

Carillion cuts net debt back to [pounds sterling]110m.(01 News)(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... Carillion has achieved an average net debt figure during 2006 of [pounds sterling]110m - previous warnings suggested the figure might run to [pounds sterling]200m. "It's down to strong cash management and a focus on working capital," said...

Brown & Mason's prospects good.(02 Business)(Brief article)
January 17, 2007... Brown & Mason (B&M), the demolition contractor, has made a pre-tax profit of [pounds sterling]640,000 ([pounds sterling]690,000). Financial results (12 months to 30 April 2006) show turnover ahead at [pounds sterling]20m ([pounds...