2004

John Laing Plc announces that it has agreed to purchase a 29.69% shareholding in Gdansk Transport Company (“GTC”), the concession company which is preferred bidder for the €700 m project to design, build, finance and operate the A1 Motorway in Poland.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia has taken a 50% investment in the Newham University Hospital PFI project, which was successfully bid and closed by Equion Ltd.  This is the first investment for the Commonwealth Bank following the announcement of a joint venture between John Laing plc (Equion’s parent company) and the Commonwealth Bank in June 2004.

John Laing plc ('Laing') announces today that it has sold, via a transfer of its interest in the M40 Limited Partnership, 50% of the capital of UK Highways M40 (Holdings) Limited ('M40') to the Secondary Market Investment Fund ('SMIF') for £26.25 million in cash. Following the transaction Laing will hold a 50% stake in the M40 project and will retain asset management control.

Equion, a division of John Laing plc, has appointed Tim Grier (42) as managing director of its facilities management business, Equion FM.  Tim will take responsibility for the management and growth of business with Equion’s customer base in the PFI serviced accommodation sector and with private sector clients.

A consortium led by Equion, a division of infrastructure developer John Laing plc, and Amey plc, the support services specialist, has signed a £45million PFI contract for the provision of criminal justice facilities in Bristol and Somerset.

ExcellCare Ltd, a joint venture between Equion and the Bank of Scotland, has signed a £50m public private sector partnership contract with the Department of Health, through Partnerships for Health, to deliver 21st century primary health and social care facilities in Leicester.  The agreement will be delivered under the Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) initiative.

Health Minister John Hutton kicks off construction of the £45m Greater Nottingham LIFT scheme in Stapleford.

ExcellCare Ltd, a joint venture between Equion and the Bank of Scotland, has signed a £75m public private sector partnership contract with the Department of Health, through Partnerships for Health, to deliver 21st century primary health and social care and local authority facilities in Manchester, Salford and Trafford (MAST).

John Laing, the infrastructure development and operations group, is issuing this trading update ahead of its half-year results, scheduled for August 31st 2004.

John Laing, the infrastructure development and operations group, announces today a 50:50 joint venture with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia to co-invest in future UK Hospital and European Roads projects. John Laing selected the Commonwealth Bank as a partner for these two sectors after a competitive process involving an international field.

John Laing plc is acquiring the remaining 50% of the capital of UK Highways M40 (Holdings) Limited (“UK Highways M40”), from Carillion plc for £19.65 million.

The third new police station to be built under the PFI (Private Finance Initiative) partnership was officially opened at Wythenshawe yesterday when the Rt. Hon. David Blunkett M.P., Secretary of State for the Home Office, unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion.

Equion plc, a division of infrastructure developer John Laing plc, has been appointed preferred bidder to deliver seven new schools for Swindon.

Kingston Hospital NHS Trust and the Prime Health Consortium have reached financial close for the £33 million PFI development at Kingston Hospital. Enabling works will start next month by the Prime Health Consortium comprising Equion, part of John Laing plc and the Costain Group.  Construction completion is scheduled for Summer 2006.

The largest PFI police station in the South East will be opened this Friday, 16 April, by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens, and Toby Harris, Chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority.

Amey and Laing Roads, its consortium partner, have been awarded a £165 million street lighting PFI contract by Manchester City Council.

Today Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens marked the opening of the new Sutton police station with an official ceremony for local police and dignitaries.

Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital hosted a turf-cutting ceremony at 2.00pm on 26 February to formally mark the start of construction work on a new multi-storey car park on the hospital campus.

Sandwell is the first LIFT project to reach financial close of the six around the country where ExcellCare is the preferred partner.

John Laing plc has been named Developer of the Year for 2003 in the prestigious Infrastructure Journal Awards.

Equion plc, a division of John Laing plc, today announces the signing of a £35 million redevelopment deal for Newham General Hospital in East London.

Sirhowy Enterprise Way Ltd, a consortium made up of Laing Roads, a division of John Laing Plc, and Costain Engineering & Construction Ltd, a division of Costain Group Plc has signed a £38 million pound agreement with Caerphilly County Borough Council to build and improve roads in the heart of the Sirhowy Valley. Laing and Costain have an equal share in the consortium.

ExcellCare Ltd, a joint venture between Equion and the Bank of Scotland, has signed a £35m public private sector partnership contract with the Department of Health, through Partnerships for Health, to deliver front-line health and social care facilities for Southern Derbyshire. The agreement will be delivered under the Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) initiative.

BBC Director Chris Cole with a kestrel chick found nesting in a box between Banbury and Warwick.

An award-winning £85m PFI project for Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council carried out by a partnership between Laing Roads, Barclays European Infrastructure Fund and Amey, the support services specialist, has completed a landmark by replacing over 18,000 street lighting columns in under two and a half years.

ExcellCare Ltd, a joint venture between Equion plc and the Bank of Scotland, has signed a £45m public private sector partnership contract with the Department of Health, through Partnerships for Health, to deliver 21st century primary health and social care and local authority facilities in Greater Nottingham. The agreement will be delivered under the Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) initiative.