2003

John Laing plc (“Laing”), the infrastructure investment group, today announces its participation in consortia that have been appointed preferred bidder for two major new PFI healthcare projects with a joint capital value of £1.35 billion.

Laing Roads and its consortium partner Amey plc have been awarded a £120 million public and street lighting PFI contract by Wakefield Metropolitan District Council (Wakefield MDC). The project delivery company is co-owned by Laing Roads, a division of John Laing plc, the UK's leading PPP/PFI infrastructure investor and Amey plc, the support services specialist.

John Laing plc ('Laing'), the infrastructure investment group, which operates Chiltern Railways, has entered into a joint venture with GNER Holdings Limited ('GNER') to bid for the Greater Western rail franchise.  The new company will be 50% owned by each party and will be called the London & Western Railway Company.

John Laing plc (“John Laing”), the infrastructure investment and operations group, today announced that it has disposed of its investments in both Adelaide Airport and Northern Territory Airports, in two separate transactions, for a combined consideration of A$ 48.5m (£19.6m). Following today’s transactions the Group is focusing future investment on the more rapidly growing European infrastructure investment market.

Equion plc, a subsidiary of John Laing, has reached financial close on two schemes for schools in the London Boroughs of Newham and Enfield, covering the provision of four new schools for over 3,400 pupils.

Edinburgh's Education bosses today announced that following tough negotiations with Edinburgh Schools Partnership plans for two new special schools, two new primary schools and a refurbished secondary school are being given the go-ahead.

Caerphilly County Borough Council has announced National Road Operators, a partnership between Laing Roads Ltd and Costain, as Preferred Bidder, to design, build, finance and operate this £38 million (capital) road through the Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

At a meeting on 29 July, Surrey County Council voted to relocate County Hall from Kingston to Woking and to undertake a project to modernise the council’s offices across the county. Equion plc, a division of John Laing plc, has been confirmed as the preferred partner in the office portfolio modernisation.

On 11th August, work will begin on the construction of the new Heywood police station, which will open its doors to serve the community in July 2004. The new police station is just one of 17 new facilities, on 16 sites, being provided by Equion plc, a division of John Laing plc, in a PFI contract for the Greater Manchester Police Authority.

Walsall Council has taken a major step towards protecting the environment after securing an innovative contract to supply the borough’s street lights with ‘green’ electricity.

Equion plc, a division of John Laing plc, has reached financial close on the contract to design, finance and construct an aircraft maintenance facility in Wales for the Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA). The Equion led consortium also includes Laing O’Rourke and Emcor Services Limited.

John Laing plc today announces that Andy Friend, currently Managing Director of the Group's principal operating subsidiary Laing Investments and a main Board director, will be appointed Group Chief Executive effective from 1 July 2003. Bill Forrester, who was appointed executive Chairman in February 2002, is to become non-executive Chairman.

In one of the quickest transactions yet seen in the European PPP market, Orkdalsvegen, a consortium formed by Laing Roads (a division of John Laing Plc) and Skanska BOT, has reached financial close with the Vegdirektoratet, Norway’s state roads agency, for the first Norwegian PPP roads project. The project, the E39 between Klett and Bardshaug, near Trondheim, is the main arterial road for the western part of Norway.

Equion plc, a subsidiary of John Laing plc, today celebrated the laying of the foundation stone of South East Essex college – its £40 million college relocation project.