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May Gurney, the infrastructure services firm, posted turnover of £239.1 million in the first half of this financial year, up from £231.6 million a year earlier. Pre-tax profit was up 21 per cent to £8.5 million.
It also has a record forward order book of £1.4 billion, along with potential contract extensions worth a further £0.9 billion.
Commenting on the results, Philip Fellowes-Prynne, chief executive said: "I am delighted that over the last six months May Gurney has achieved another period of record turnover and underlying profits, further strengthened its cash position, increased its forward order book to more than £1.4billion and won several significant new long-term contracts and extensions worth more than £500m."
"May Gurney's exceptional performance, in the context of the current economic climate, is a testament to our leading market position as a provider of essential services and the resilience of our business model and makes us confident of the Group's future prospects."He added
Interserve has won a £200 million facilities management with HSBC and is commencing service delivery today. In a three-year agreement, which has a potential two-year extension, Interserve will deliver facilities services at over 1,600 retail and 120 office sites across the UK, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
The group said this is one of the largest such contracts in the UK. Adrian Ringrose, Interserve's Chief Executive‘The point at which we begin service delivery is always an exciting moment...but in the case of HSBC it is even more so than usual...The size of the contract, the number and variety of incumbent suppliers and the fact that we are going further with this client than anyone else has previously all add to the challenge."
‘We are confident that the complex preparations we have undertaken have laid the foundations for the improved service, reduced cost and enhanced business processes that HSBC needs,’ he added.
The Government has released another £1 billion of funding for more Building Schools for the Future projects in Brent, Darlington, Devon, Havering, Kingston & Croydon, Norfolk, Plymouth, Sefton, Wakefield,Warrington. Lancashire and Tameside will recieve enhancements on their existing schemes under the £55 billion programme to rebuild or refurbish every state secondary school in England. The 12 authorities were selected from 20 by a selection process which tested their readiness to deliver the projects. A total of 96 local authorities are now involved in the programme. Partnership for Schools chief executive Tim Byles said: “With more than 110,000 pupils already benefitting from BSF investment, today’s announcement will boost this growing figure over the coming years. “As well as delivering the new schools facilities that teachers and pupils deserve to every community, BSF will also help safeguard tens of thousands of jobs on the ground in the construction and related industries.”
According to new figures from the Land Registry, house prices across England and Wales in October have risen for the fifth month in a row. Prices are now at their highest level since November last year after the average value of property rose 0.6 per cent for the month. The annual change stands at minus 3.4 per cent. This is the sixth month in a row in which the fall in annual change has decreased. The average house price in England and Wales is now £159,546. All regions in England and Wales experienced a decrease in their average property values over the last 12 months. The region with the most significant annual price fall was the West Midlands with a movement of minus 6.3 per cent. The North West experienced the greatest monthly rise with a movement of 1.9 per cent. Wales was the region with the most significant monthly price fall with a movement of minus 2.3 per cent. The most up-to-date figures available show that during August 2009 the number of completed house sales in England and Wales rose by 11 per cent to 53,236 from 48,109 in August 2008. Transaction volumes, while no longer falling at 2007 rates, remain relatively low.
New guidelines have been set out by the UK Green Building Council this week in a bid to cut emissions by 50 per cent by 2020.
In a speech to the industry body’s annual conference UK Green Building Council chief executive Paul King urged the industry to recognise the role it can play in delivering on UK targets for carbon cuts by 2020 .
Mr King said "Taking on this challenge would create thousands of new jobs, boosting the UK economy and supporting our recovery....It would benefit business and consumers by reducing their energy costs while improving the comfort of our homes and buildings. And it would help the UK government deliver on the commitments it has made and even go beyond those."
Under the Climate Change Act, the government is committed to reducing the nation's CO2 output by 34 per cent by 2020.
Everton's football clubs plans for a new stadium at Kirkby have been rejected by Communities and Local Government Secretary John Denham, the club and Tesco had hoped to build a ground and a shopping complex.
Everton chief executive Robert Elstone said the club were "bitterly disappointed" but it did not mean the end of the search for a new home.
Denham felt the impact of a stadium on the chosen site "would have a harmful effect on the living conditions" of residents in a nearby street.
Trustmark the government endorsed building standards organisation has announced its "Top Ten Builders". There were over 600 entries from tradesmen all over the country from a whole range of different trades – TrustMark had entries from builders, plumbers, electricians, painters, decorators, glaziers, roofers and landscape gardeners. The criteria being considered included: - stand out nature of project overall, including results
- overcoming extenuating circumstances
- photography of project (before & after)
- reason given for consideration as a Top 100 tradesman
The winners were chosen by an independent panel of judges, with points awarded against the above criteria as well as by talking to the customers who the firms were working for to obtain greater feedback to enable the judges to identify the most trustworthy and reliable tradesmen. The Top 10 entries were announced as : Andrew Christopher - Andrew Christopher Builders Ltd – Weymouth (Builder)
Paul Merton - Plumbsense Ltd - Welwyn Garden City (Plumber)
Nick Orchard - Englands Finest Property Services Ltd - Bristol (Builder)
Simon Busby Waltho - Joinery & Mechanical Design – Banffshire (Kitchen Specialist)
Chris Butterworth - Butterworth Cox Building Contractors Ltd - Daventry (Builder)
Gary Partridge - SecElec UK Ltd – Cannock (Electrician)
Sarah Wain - Sarah Wain Property Developer – London (Builder)
Clayton Lyon - Perfect Concepts ltd - Woodford Green (Builder)
Kevin Williams - Kevin Williams General Builders - Hexham (Builder)
Andy Farrington - Bradley Scott Windows – Tamworth (Glazier)
The government has announced the minimum standard for the energy efficiency of zero carbon homes, moving a step closer to all new homes being zero carbon by 2016.
Speaking yesterday at the Making Sustainable Development Happen conference, organised by Building and UKGBC, housing minister John Healey said that the new energy efficiency standards will be subject to the up coming consultation on the Code for Sustainable Homes, but it includes an energy efficiency standard of 46kWh/m2/year for semi-detached and detached homes and 39kWh/m2/year for all other homes.
Neil Jefferson, chief executive of the Zero Carbon Hub, said “The Fabric Energy Efficiency Standard is a critically important step towards the delivery of zero carbon homes from 2016.The group has agreed upon a performance level that it has judged to be stretching and appropriate for mass scale production in the UK."
Some of the UK's biggest construction firms are leading the way in appealing against the fines imposed by the Office of Fair trading (OFT) for illegally rigging bids for building projects.
Galliford Try today told shareholders it would contest its £8.3 million fine, the third-largest handed down by the OFT in the bid-rigging investigation, whilst Ballast Nedham is contesting its £8.3 million penalty, Crest Nicholson and Interior Services Group are also appealing fines of around £5 million.
Kier Group, which recieved the largest fine of nearly £18 million, filed its appeal last week. The appeals will focus on the methods used by the OFT to calculate fines against individual companies. Overall, the regulator imposed £130 million in fines, amounting to slightly more than 1 per cent of the construction groups’ collective turnover, but some received proportionately higher fines than others.
The Uk government has appointed Paul Morrell OBE to the new role of Government Chief Construction Adviser. The Chief Construction Advisor will work with Government and the industry to act as a link between the two and ensure Britain's construction sector is equipped with the knowledge, skills and best practice to make the most of the opportunities which the 21st century will offer.
Paul Morrell was Ppreviously senior partner of construction consultants Davis Langdon, and also former deputy chair of CABE.The CCA is an independent role, but will report jointly to BIS and HM Treasury Ministers. The role includes:- - Chairing a new Construction Collaborative Category Board, which will build on the existing Public Sector Construction Clients Forum (PSCCF), to drive the implementation and further development of best value Government construction procurement.
- Chairing an enhanced sustainable construction strategy delivery board to help ensure policy regarding the industry is effectively co-ordinated.
- Assessing the key barriers to growth in the UK’s Low Carbon construction sector to ensure the UK industry is well placed to serve developing needs and markets.
- Working with the industry, through the Strategic Forum for Construction, to deliver the industry improvement agenda, including the Construction Commitments.
- Promoting innovation in the sector, working closely with the Technology Strategy Board and other funding bodies.
- Co-ordinating the Whitehall response to reports featuring construction.
Construction Minister Ian Lucas said:
“The Chief Construction Adviser will play a vital role in championing the sector with Government and work with industry to ensure we have a strong, sustainable construction sector in the UK. With broad experience across sectors including commercial, health, residential, arts and transport construction, Paul Morrell is well placed to support the industry to take advantage of the growth opportunities offered by the 21st century.”
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