Contract Journal articles from July 2002

Contract Journal archives from July 2002

Work winners this week.(construction industry contracts)
July 3, 2002... Who's winning the work?Contracts Hotline is your at-a-glance digest of the latest contract awards around the UK. Data supplied by ABI Building Data. London & South East Barnet road Work: Road Location: Barnet, London ...

Facing up to the housing crisis.(UK Green Paper on housing criticized by construction industry)
July 3, 2002... Few would dispute that the UK is facing a housing crisis. And while there is little agreement as to what the solution should be, no one doubts that the current planning system is one of the problems. Paul Donovan examines the proposals for...

Haymills causing a stir as it bids for larger contracts.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... A decision by contractor and developer Haymills to pursue larger contracts has raised a few eyebrows among the industry's major players. A year ago the company was bidding for [pounds sterling]1m to [pounds sterling]3m contracts, but with...

Imer teams up with APD to offer mix.(Imer Direct and APD (L & T) Mixers)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Following the Imer Group's acquisition of truck mixer and concrete distribution pump manufacturer L&T, Imer Direct (GB) is to work in conjunction with the existing distributor APD (L&T) Mixers. Imer Direct said this would allow it to supply...

Land Rover boasts over 700 changes to its 2003 model.(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 3, 2002... The 2003 Land Rover Discovery has more than 700 changes including a centre locking diff lock, active suspension and hill descent control (HDC). Power comes from either the 2.5 litre five-cylinder Td5 diesel producing 101kW (with on- and...

Volvo puts own stamp on grader.(Volvo motor graders)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Volvo has completed the integration of the Champion brand of motor graders, bought five years ago, with the launch of its new B-series. The new machines feature Volvo's own engines, transmission, and a redesigned cab. In the seven machine...

Readers back cards for all.(competence cards for construction plant operators)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... An e-mail survey by CJ's sister magazine PMJ showed that 83% of respondents thought that competence cards should be a legal necessity for all construction plant operators. The survey went to 1,526 readers - including plant hirers,...

Big spend from SED.
July 3, 2002... Survey reveals 22% of purchasers expected to place orders by Colin Sowman A survey of SED visitors has shown that they were, and are, planning to spend some serious money. Of over 1,100 visitors questioned, 73% had purchasing or...

The cost of PAYE compliance.
July 3, 2002... One subcontractor, who wished to remain anonymous, contacted CJ to complain about his experiences of CIS4. "A few years ago I moved all my employees on to PAYE, but now I can't compete with firms which only use CIS4 labour. The crazy thing...

Jarvis' rail safety training is 'proper'.
July 3, 2002... Exclusive by Rob Willock Jarvis will be hoping to draw a line under negative press reports that hijacked its annual results after it received a letter from Railtrack confirming that its rail safety training is adequate and proper. The...

The money's on the street.
July 3, 2002... Berkeley's end of year results indicate bricks and mortar safe bet for investors by John Leitch The latest statistic from Berkeley, whose core business is still the building of upmarket flats in central London, suggests that we're all...

Managers being urged to maintain high standards.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Chief executives of major companies "should be hung" if they fail to run their business ethically, said Tony Pidgley, managing director of the Berkeley Group, last week. Pidgley said that as long as Berkeley's business practices are sound,...

Union aims for [pounds sterling]12/hour craft wage.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... by John d'Arcy Delegates at UCATT's 16th biennial policy conference in Bournemouth last week set a new craft minimum pay target of [pounds sterling]12 per hour. "I think that is a fair rate," commented general secretary George...

Balfour duo clinch [pounds sterling]120m; water deals.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Balfour Beatty-owned contractors John Kennedy and Kenton Utilities have clinched deals with Yorkshire Water totalling [pounds sterling]120m. Manchester-based Kennedy and Barnsley firm Kenton will take on design, build and investigation...

Candidates for UCATT general secretary called in March 2003.
July 3, 2002... Members of UCATT look set next year to start the process of electing a successor to George Brumwell as general secretary of the union. Current expectations are that nominations of candidates will be called in March 2003, leading to a June...

Sex and booze campaign boosts recruitment figures.
July 3, 2002... Respect for People initiative." The CITB chairman added: "If we are going to attract young people into the industry, we need to talk to them in language which means something to them." In this respect, he claimed that the training...

Crest Nicholson reaps reward for thinking big.
July 3, 2002... Crest Nicholson, the residential development company, has been rewarded for its increased focus on developing large, complex sites as properties built on these sites have yielded operating margins as high as 27%. The group's latest interim...

Royal VAT bill: [pounds sterling]1.4m.
July 3, 2002... But slashing tax on RMI to 5% would mean a saving of [pounds sterling]1m for the Queen by Rob Willock The Royal Household's property maintenance bill would be cut by [pounds sterling]1m if VAT on repair, maintenance and improvement...

Forum under attack.
July 3, 2002... The formation of the Strategic Forum continues to stir up debate. According to a source close to the current Forum, a row has broken out over the construction umbrella bodies' handling of the formation of the new Forum, after apparently...

Safety legislation on the cards.
July 3, 2002... Firms may be under pressure from investors and insurers to improve safety performance by John d'Arcy Contractors and clients may soon be subject to fresh legislation requiring them effectively to monitor and manage subcontractors'...

Aggregates Levy faces suspension.
July 3, 2002... BAA to challenge EC's decision to approve the tax in the European Court of Justice by Laura Hailstone The Aggregates Levy still stands a chance of being suspended, as the saga of the contentious tax takes another twist. Last week...

BAA may merge frameworks.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... The British Airports Authority (BAA) is considering bundling together half a dozen framework deals into a trio of major contracts worth [pounds sterling]1.5bn. BAA is proposing to merge the [pounds sterling]750m pavement works and [pounds...

Turn-round for Dickie's profit.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... John Dickie, the Glasgow-based housebuilder and contractor, has announced a pre-tax profit of [pounds sterling]1.2m on turnover of [pounds sterling]31m. Last year the group made a [pounds sterling]1m loss on a similar turnover and...

Mowlem wins key CTRL job.(Channel Tunnel Rail Link)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Mowlem has taken a key contract on the [pounds sterling]5.2bn Channel Tunnel Rail Link in north London. Contract 104H is worth around [pounds sterling]61m and involves designing and installing tracks and overhead line equipment at St...

Schal and Bovis fight for BBCjob.(contracts for BBC's Broadcasting House)
July 3, 2002... Firms face tight contest for [pounds sterling]200m revamp of BBC HQ by Brian Warner Another bidder has played its final part in a dramatic race for the [pounds sterling]200m extension and revamp of the BBC's Broadcasting House...

Dismal results for HSE safety blitz.(UK Health and Safety Executive inspect building sites)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... The Health & Safety Executive's (HSE) latest construction blitz across the West Midlands has produced dismal findings. During the three-day inspection, which formed part of last week's blitz across the Midlands and Wales, 72 prohibition...

Carillion avoids school PFIs.(sees private finance school construction as too high risk)
July 3, 2002... Carillion has made a strategic decision not to chase privately financed schools projects because the market is too crowded. The company is also avoiding involvement in high-risk projects that are likely to be scrapped or delayed. The...

MCG down to 20 as Alfred McAlpine quits.(Major Contractors Group)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... by Ross Pearman The Major Contractors Group (MCG) has hit back at suggestions that it is on the decline after Alfred McAlpine decided not to renew its membership. With only 20 contractors left on board after a similar withdrawal by...

PFI schools shortlists.(private finance education schemes )(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Consortia are in the hunt for two local authority private finance education schemes in London, worth [pounds sterling]25m apiece. The roll call for a Harrow council project is: a consortium headed up by the Mill Group and including Skanska...

Bovis bags [pounds sterling]162m PFI hospital.(Bovis Lend Lease-led Catalyst consortium )(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... The Bovis Lend Lease-led Catalyst consortium has landed a [pounds sterling]162m PFI hospital deal in Manchester and has made the shortlist for a [pounds sterling]136m PFI deal in Leeds. Catalyst (Bovis and facilities manager Sodexho) beat a...

An offer you can't refuse?(tax laws for self-employed contractors)
July 3, 2002... Is the writing on the wall for bogus self-employment or are the financial benefits of being self-employed just too good to ignore? Ross Pearman investigates. Do fairy tales come true? On the evidence of Ronaldo exorcising the ghost of...

Government backs Fastrack.(Kent County Council public transportation)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Pressure from Kent County Council has paid off after the government finally agreed borrowing approval for the [pounds sterling]16m first phase of Fastrack, the public transport scheme. The first phase, a 7.2km dedicated bus route between...

NEWSBRIEF.(construction industry news briefs)
July 3, 2002... New-look Ascot under starters orders Ascot racecourse is to undergo a [pounds sterling]180m transformation that will include a new grandstand with a glass-topped atrium. Designed by Rod Sheard, the architect behind Cardiff's Millennium...

Alfred McAlpine starts Railtrack partnering deal.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Alfred McAlpine has started work on Railtrack's first long-term partnering agreement for earthworks and structures. The [pounds sterling]300m 10-year partnering arrangement, takes in all of the Great Western zone, apart from Reading and...

Troubled Stenoak helped by clients.
July 3, 2002... Stenoak 'amazed' as firms change contract conditions so group can continue to work by John Leitch Stenoak is amazed at the help it is receiving from both clients and main contractors as it battles to stay in business. Many are changing...

CITB slammed for lack of summer training.(Construction Industry Training Board's National Construction College)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... The Construction Industry Training Board's (CITB) National Construction College has been criticised this week for its failure to offer any health and safety training courses for a two-month period over the summer. Graham Hall, contracts...

Operative wins [pounds sterling]1.4m after CTRL accident.(Shane Holiday injured on Channel Tunnel Rail Link work)
July 3, 2002... Worker who lost an arm and a leg on North Downs job gets compensation Exclusive by Tim Wood An operative has won a record [pounds sterling]1.4m compensation payment after losing an arm and a leg while working on the Channel Tunnel...

NEWSBRIEF.(contracting news)
July 3, 2002... Trio on waiting list for hospital work Three contractors are on the waiting list for an [pounds sterling]8m deal to design and build nurses' accommodation at the Royal Free Hospital, north London. Kier, Mansell and Shepherd are working up...

Geoff Brewer of Brewer Consulting examines the payment of interest or financing charges.
July 3, 2002... The circumstances in which a contractor might become entitled to the payment of interest as a result of receiving late payments were examined in the recent decision of Amec Process & Energy -v- Stork Engineers & Contractors. In 1995, Shell...

Work winners this week.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Who's winning the work?Contracts Hotline is your at-a-glance digest of the latest contract awards around the UK. Data supplied by ABI Building Data. London & South East Barnet road Work: Road Location: Barnet, London ...

Facing up to the housing crisis.(proposals for changing planning regime in government's Green Paper)
July 3, 2002... Few would dispute that the UK is facing a housing crisis. And while there is little agreement as to what the solution should be, no one doubts that the current planning system is one of the problems. Paul Donovan examines the proposals for...

Haymills causing a stir as it bids for larger contracts.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... A decision by contractor and developer Haymills to pursue larger contracts has raised a few eyebrows among the industry's major players. A year ago the company was bidding for [pound]1m to [pound]3m contracts, but with a focus on three...

Imer teams up with APD to offer mix.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Following the Imer Group's acquisition of truck mixer and concrete distribution pump manufacturer L&T, Imer Direct (GB) is to work in conjunction with the existing distributor APD (L&T) Mixers. Imer Direct said this would allow it to supply...

Land Rover boasts over 700 changes to its 2003 model.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... The 2003 Land Rover Discovery has more than 700 changes including a centre locking diff lock, active suspension and hill descent control (HDC). Power comes from either the 2.5 litre five-cylinder Td5 diesel producing 101kW (with on- and...

Volvo puts own stamp on grader.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Volvo has completed the integration of the Champion brand of motor graders, bought five years ago, with the launch of its new B-series. The new machines feature Volvo's own engines, transmission, and a redesigned cab. In the seven machine...

Readers back cards for all.
July 3, 2002... An e-mail survey by CJ's sister magazine PMJ showed that 83% of respondents thought that competence cards should be a legal necessity for all construction plant operators. The survey went to 1,526 readers - including plant hirers,...

Big spend from SED.(exhibition)
July 3, 2002... Survey reveals 22% of purchasers expected to place orders by Colin Sowman A survey of SED visitors has shown that they were, and are, planning to spend some serious money. Of over 1,100 visitors questioned, 73% had purchasing or...

The cost of PAYE compliance.
July 3, 2002... One subcontractor, who wished to remain anonymous, contacted CJ to complain about his experiences of CIS4. "A few years ago I moved all my employees on to PAYE, but now I can't compete with firms which only use CIS4 labour. The crazy thing...

Jarvis' rail safety training is 'proper'.
July 3, 2002... Exclusive by Rob Willock Jarvis will be hoping to draw a line under negative press reports that hijacked its annual results after it received a letter from Railtrack confirming that its rail safety training is adequate and proper. The...

The money's on the street.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Berkeley's end of year results indicate bricks and mortar safe bet for investors by John Leitch The latest statistic from Berkeley, whose core business is still the building of upmarket flats in central London, suggests that we're all...

Managers being urged to maintain high standards.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Chief executives of major companies "should be hung" if they fail to run their business ethically, said Tony Pidgley, managing director of the Berkeley Group, last week. Pidgley said that as long as Berkeley's business practices are sound,...

Union aims for [pounds sterling]12/hour craft wage.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... by John d'Arcy Delegates at UCATT's 16th biennial policy conference in Bournemouth last week set a new craft minimum pay target of [pound]12 per hour. "I think that is a fair rate," commented general secretary George Brumwell. ...

Balfour duo clinch [pounds sterling]120m; water deals.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Balfour Beatty-owned contractors John Kennedy and Kenton Utilities have clinched deals with Yorkshire Water totalling [pound]120m. Manchester-based Kennedy and Barnsley firm Kenton will take on design, build and investigation tasks to...

Candidates for UCATT general secretary called in March 2003.(union)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Members of UCATT look set next year to start the process of electing a successor to George Brumwell as general secretary of the union. Current expectations are that nominations of candidates will be called in March 2003, leading to a June...

Sex and booze campaign boosts recruitment figures.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Respect for People initiative." The CITB chairman added: "If we are going to attract young people into the industry, we need to talk to them in language which means something to them." In this respect, he claimed that the training...

Crest Nicholson reaps reward for thinking big.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Crest Nicholson, the residential development company, has been rewarded for its increased focus on developing large, complex sites as properties built on these sites have yielded operating margins as high as 27%. The group's latest interim...

Royal VAT bill: [pounds sterling]1.4m.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... But slashing tax on RMI to 5% would mean a saving of [pound]1m for the Queen by Rob Willock The Royal Household's property maintenance bill would be cut by [pound]1m if VAT on repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) work was reduced...

Forum under attack.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... The formation of the Strategic Forum continues to stir up debate. According to a source close to the current Forum, a row has broken out over the construction umbrella bodies' handling of the formation of the new Forum, after apparently...

Safety legislation on the cards.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Firms may be under pressure from investors and insurers to improve safety performance by John d'Arcy Contractors and clients may soon be subject to fresh legislation requiring them effectively to monitor and manage subcontractors'...

Aggregates Levy faces suspension.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... BAA to challenge EC's decision to approve the tax in the European Court of Justice by Laura Hailstone The Aggregates Levy still stands a chance of being suspended, as the saga of the contentious tax takes another twist. Last week...

BAA may merge frameworks.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... The British Airports Authority (BAA) is considering bundling together half a dozen framework deals into a trio of major contracts worth [pound]1.5bn. BAA is proposing to merge the [pound]750m pavement works and [pound]200m civils deals...

Turn-round for Dickie's profit.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... John Dickie, the Glasgow-based housebuilder and contractor, has announced a pre-tax profit of [pound]1.2m on turnover of [pound]31m. Last year the group made a [pound]1m loss on a similar turnover and initiated major changes, taking on Rod...

Mowlem wins key CTRL job.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Mowlem has taken a key contract on the [pound]5.2bn Channel Tunnel Rail Link in north London. Contract 104H is worth around [pound]61m and involves designing and installing tracks and overhead line equipment at St Pancras Station. ...

Schal and Bovis fight for BBCjob.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Firms face tight contest for [pound]200m revamp of BBC HQ by Brian Warner Another bidder has played its final part in a dramatic race for the [pound]200m extension and revamp of the BBC's Broadcasting House headquarters in central...

Dismal results for HSE safety blitz.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... The Health & Safety Executive's (HSE) latest construction blitz across the West Midlands has produced dismal findings. During the three-day inspection, which formed part of last week's blitz across the Midlands and Wales, 72 prohibition...

Carillion avoids school PFIs.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Carillion has made a strategic decision not to chase privately financed schools projects because the market is too crowded. The company is also avoiding involvement in high-risk projects that are likely to be scrapped or delayed. The...

MCG down to 20 as Alfred McAlpine quits. (Major Contractors Group).(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... by Ross Pearman The Major Contractors Group (MCG) has hit back at suggestions that it is on the decline after Alfred McAlpine decided not to renew its membership. With only 20 contractors left on board after a similar withdrawal by...

PFI schools shortlists.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Consortia are in the hunt for two local authority private finance education schemes in London, worth [pound]25m apiece. The roll call for a Harrow council project is: a consortium headed up by the Mill Group and including Skanska and...

Bovis bags [pounds sterling]162m PFI hospital. (Bovis Lend Lease, Manchester, England).(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... The Bovis Lend Lease-led Catalyst consortium has landed a [pound]162m PFI hospital deal in Manchester and has made the shortlist for a [pound]136m PFI deal in Leeds. Catalyst (Bovis and facilities manager Sodexho) beat a Taylor Woodrow-led...

An offer you can't refuse?(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Is the writing on the wall for bogus self-employment or are the financial benefits of being self-employed just too good to ignore? Ross Pearman investigates. Do fairy tales come true? On the evidence of Ronaldo exorcising the ghost of...

Government backs Fastrack. (public transport, Kent, England).(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Pressure from Kent County Council has paid off after the government finally agreed borrowing approval for the [pound]16m first phase of Fastrack, the public transport scheme. The first phase, a 7.2km dedicated bus route between Dartford and...

NEWSBRIEF.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... New-look Ascot under starters orders Ascot racecourse is to undergo a [pound]180m transformation that will include a new grandstand with a glass-topped atrium. Designed by Rod Sheard, the architect behind Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, the...

Alfred McAlpine starts Railtrack partnering deal.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Alfred McAlpine has started work on Railtrack's first long-term partnering agreement for earthworks and structures. The [pound]300m 10-year partnering arrangement, takes in all of the Great Western zone, apart from Reading and some areas of...

Troubled Stenoak helped by clients.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 3, 2002... Stenoak 'amazed' as firms change contract conditions so group can continue to work by John Leitch Stenoak is amazed at the help it is receiving from both clients and main contractors as it battles to stay in business. Many are changing...

CITB slammed for lack of summer training. (Construction Industry Training Board).(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... The Construction Industry Training Board's (CITB) National Construction College has been criticised this week for its failure to offer any health and safety training courses for a two-month period over the summer. Graham Hall, contracts...

Operative wins [pounds sterling]1.4m after CTRL accident. (Eurolink's Shane Holiday, Channel Tunnel Rail Link).(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Worker who lost an arm and a leg on North Downs job gets compensation Exclusive by Tim Wood An operative has won a record [pound]1.4m compensation payment after losing an arm and a leg while working on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link...

NEWSBRIEF.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... Trio on waiting list for hospital work Three contractors are on the waiting list for an [pound]8m deal to design and build nurses' accommodation at the Royal Free Hospital, north London. Kier, Mansell and Shepherd are working up bids for...

Geoff Brewer of Brewer Consulting examines the payment of interest or financing charges.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2002... The circumstances in which a contractor might become entitled to the payment of interest as a result of receiving late payments were examined in the recent decision of Amec Process & Energy -v- Stork Engineers & Contractors. In 1995, Shell...

Working together. (Wrekin Construction, Marshalls).(Brief Article)
July 10, 2002... Is partnering achieving its objectives? Two firms - Wrekin Construction and Marshalls - believe that partnering has improved working relationships and long-term profit margins. Tim Wood reports. Four years ago, as part of his groundbreaking...

Support services in need of support.(delayed project forces Amey Holdings PLC to report potential financial problems)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2002... Thanks to WorldCom and Enron, it doesn't take much to send shareholders into blind panic. So Amey's troubles couldn't have come at a worse time. On Monday the support services group issued a trading update to report a potential cashflow problem...

On the set of a luxury production.(movie production set)
July 10, 2002... One of the all time greats of the film world shot some of his early talkies at Gainsborough Studios in Hoxton, east London. Now Alfred Hitchcock's old film studio is being redeveloped into luxury apartments. David Bennett takes a look and finds...

CTA renewal u-turn.(Certificate of Training Achievement)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2002... Three-year renewal scheme dropped as CTA fears wrath of plant industry by Paul Howard Controversial plans for the Certificate of Training Achievement (CTA) to be renewed on a three yearly basis have been scrapped following an...

Emcor Drake & Scull gains profit from PFI.(Brief Article)
July 10, 2002... Emcor Drake & Scull, the M&E specialist contractor, says that its increased pre-tax profit of [pound]5.7m ([pound]4m) is largely a result of a bigger proportion of negotiated and PFI-type work. Announcing the group's latest annual results...

NEWSBRIEF.(Brief Article)
July 10, 2002... creation of oil and steel uk Having just announced that Grovegate Engineering was to be the UK distributor for Oil and Steel aerial access platforms, the two companies have created a new company called Oil and Steel UK. Both companies have...