133-522: Sir Robert McAlpine Limited is a family-owned building and civil engineering company based in Hemel Hempstead , England. It carries out engineering and construction in the infrastructure, heritage, commercial, arena and stadium, healthcare, education and nuclear sectors. Robert McAlpine was born in 1847 in the Scottish village of Newarthill near Motherwell. From the age of seven he worked in
266-478: A cathedral city and also like Hemel Hempstead, is part of the London commuter belt . Possibly the best view of Hemel Hempstead in its physical setting is from the top of Roughdown Common , a chalk hill to the south of the town, at TL 049 055 . The grand design for Hemel Hempstead new town saw each new district centred around a parade or square of shops called a neighbourhood centre. Other districts existed before
399-594: A "a small number of redundancies" in its construction and projects team as a result of Carillion's collapse. The impacts of Carillion's collapse extended over a year: in January 2019, construction equipment hirer Hawk Plant went into administration after losing around £800,000 from the collapse of Carillion and a problem contract in Sierra Leone; also in January 2019, piling contractor Van Elle reported pretax profits down 54% to £2.4M as turnover fell 18% to £42.9M in
532-607: A 'smokescreen' for its own poor payment record. Four companies in Lagan Construction Group went into administration owing £21M in early March 2018 partly as a result of Carillion's insolvency; tightened credit terms and requests for upfront payments had affected cashflow. Similarly, 55-strong Chippenham-based flooring contractor Polydeck blamed Carillion "tailwinds" after it went into administration on 25 May 2018. Cheshire-based civil engineering contractor D G Cummins lost £1.8M owed by Carillion for work undertaken on
665-805: A 60% stake in Rokstad Power Corporation, a Canadian transmission and distribution business, for £33M. Carillion acquired 100% of the Outland Group, a specialist supplier of camps and catering at remote locations in Canada, in May 2015 and a majority stake in Ask Real Estate, a Manchester -based developer, in January 2016. In 2009, Carillion was revealed as a subscriber to an illegal construction industry blacklisting body, The Consulting Association (TCA), though its inclusion on
798-786: A Carillion subcontract at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital . On 29 January 2018, CCP, a Slough -based dry lining contractor with a 350-strong site-based labour force, called in liquidators due to debts owed by Carillion. Already financially troubled ground engineering business Aspin Group Holdings went into administration in February 2018 as part of pre-pack deal after the group and its subsidiaries were owed around £800,000 by Carillion (bought by private equity firm Sandton Capital Partners, Aspin subsequently went into administration, with
931-414: A fifth on the same period in 2017, with small to medium-sized companies and specialist subcontractors particularly hard hit, having to write off virtually everything owed to them by Carillion. Total construction insolvencies in 2018 were up 13% to 2,954 companies, according to law firm Nockolds, who said fallout from Carillion's collapse had contributed to a spike in businesses folding. Law firm RPC made
1064-607: A home for the Apsley Paper Museum. The now disused mill site at Nash Mills was also redeveloped to build housing and community facilities. It retains some historic buildings. An indoor shopping mall was developed adjacent to the south end of the Marlowes retail area in 1990. In 2005, the Riverside development, designed by Bernard Engle Architects, was opened, effectively extending the main shopping precinct towards
1197-399: A large arcade in the middle of the building, snooker and pool tables, a discothèque called Visage (subsequently Lava), a nightclub and a themed bar. In December 2011, plans were submitted by the then landlords Capital & Regional to redevelop the site. It proposed a collection of family-friendly cafes and restaurants, with Aquasplash closing down. The cinema continued to operate while
1330-818: A legal ruling that the group's collapse did not warrant "special circumstances" protection. In January 2019, Unite reported that worker redundancy payment negotiations had been made "unduly complicated" because of Carillion's complex corporate structure, and said the total amount of redundancy pay awarded to ex-Carillion workers was expected to rise to £65M. A week after the liquidation, PwC agreed with Network Rail that Carillion Construction employees to its projects would have their wages guaranteed through to at least mid April 2018, while Carillion suppliers on Network Rail projects would also be paid. 150 Carillion workers employed on smart motorway joint ventures with Kier were set to become Kier employees; 51 Carillion employees working on seven HS2 civil engineering packages awarded to
1463-588: A locally managed liquidation. By the end of 2018, 91 Carillion companies had been liquidated. In April 2018, the Official Receiver estimated the total liabilities of the then 27 liquidated UK companies at £6.9 billion, a figure over three times higher than given in the Group's accounts at the end of 2016. On 6 August 2018, the Insolvency Service announced the end of the trading phase of
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#17327761842511596-494: A merger with rival Balfour Beatty . Three offers were made; the last bid, which valued Balfour Beatty at £2.1 billion, was unanimously rejected by the Balfour Beatty board on 19 August 2014. Balfour refused to allow an extension of time for negotiations that could have prompted a fourth bid. Carillion announced later that day that it would no longer pursue a merger with its rival. In December 2014, Carillion acquired
1729-509: A new CEO led to the appointment of Andrew Davies , CEO of Wates – announced on 27 October 2017 – with Davies set to join the firm in April 2018). As a result, the contractor was demoted from the FTSE 250 Index , and five directors (including Howson and finance director Zafar Khan ) left the company as it tried to refinance. On 27 September 2017, a Middle Eastern firm was said to be considering
1862-564: A new play area and an area for picnics and gardening, as well as a community centre for volunteers, learning organisations and schools, and the Friends of the Jellicoe Water Gardens. There is also a new terrace for the flower garden. The pedestrianised high street has been redeveloped, with a new play area and equipment around the street, such as giant coloured balls, slides, a tightrope and trampolines. A sculpture showcasing
1995-425: A new road connecting it to the town was opened. By 1962, the redevelopment of the new town as originally envisaged was largely complete, though further expansion plans were then put forward. The nearby United States Air Force base of Bovingdon , which had served as the town's 'de facto' airport, reverted to RAF use at this time, continuing as an active military airfield until 1971. A campus of West Herts College ,
2128-523: A new route opened connecting Boxmoor to the Midland Railway at Harpenden . The Harpenden to Hemel Hempstead branch railway — affectionately known as the Nickey Line — crossed the town centre on a long, curved viaduct , eventually serving three local stations in the town at Heath Park Halt , Hemel Hempsted (Midland) and Godwin's Halt. A new Hemel Hempstead Hospital was established at
2261-749: A possible break-up of the Big Four accounting firms . A separate report by the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee , in July 2018, blamed the UK government for outsourcing contracts based on lowest price, saying its use of contractors such as Carillion had caused public services to deteriorate. Carillion was created in July 1999, following a demerger from Tarmac , which had been founded in 1903. Tarmac focused on its core heavy building materials business, while Carillion included
2394-470: A rescue deal agreed, with a potential administration process set to start on 15 January 2018. The Financial Times later reported Carillion had just £29M in cash when it collapsed, and would have run out of cash by 18 January 2018. Consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and EY had both rejected roles as administrators amid concerns they would not be paid. On 15 January 2018, the BBC reported Carillion
2527-404: A takeover bid. Two days later, it was revealed that Carillion's losses for the six months ended 30 June 2017 totalled £1.15 billion, following a further write down of £200M relating to its support services division. In September 2017 Keith Cochrane told investors that the business had accepted too many projects which turned out unprofitable and for which the amount paid was insufficient for
2660-404: A training contract with a government department or agency. In June 2018, 776 out of 1148 had been re-employed or moved into full-time education, 225 were seeking future work and 147 had become disengaged. Construction apprentices made up 341 of the 356 people made redundant in the week reported on 30 July; Unite said these redundancies reduced UK construction apprenticeship numbers by 1.6%, while
2793-520: A visit shortly after her accession in 1952, and laid a foundation stone for a new church in Adeyfield – one of her first public engagements as Queen. The shopping square she visited is named Queen's Square, and the nearby area has street names commemorating the then-recent conquest of Everest , such as Hillary and Tenzing Roads. This conquest is also celebrated in the name of a pub in Warners End –
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#17327761842512926-429: Is a very sad day for Carillion, for our colleagues, suppliers and customers that we have been proud to serve over many years. [...] In recent days however we have been unable to secure the funding to support our business plan and it is therefore with the deepest regret that we have arrived at this decision. We understand that HM Government will be providing the necessary funding required by the Official Receiver to maintain
3059-530: Is bitterly disappointing." Hemel Hempstead Hemel Hempstead ( / ˌ h ɛ m əl ˈ h ɛ m p s t ɪ d / ) is a town in the Dacorum district in Hertfordshire , England. It is located 24 miles (39 km) north-west of London ; nearby towns include Watford , St Albans and Berkhamsted . The population at the 2021 census was 95,961. Hemel Hempstead has existed since at least
3192-571: Is very fine: a red tenacious flinty loam upon a bed of chalk at a yard or two beneath, which, in my opinion, is the very best corn land that we have in England." By the 18th century the grain market in Hemel was one of the largest in the country. In 1797 there were 11 watermills working in the vicinity of the town. The chalk on which Hemel is largely built has had commercial value and has been mined and exploited to improve farmland and for building from
3325-525: The Investors Chronicle commented that its financial problems were not a secret and had been known for at least two years, with little working capital, shrinking amounts due to customers, and rising monies withheld by clients. On 24 October 2017, it was reported that Carillion was preparing to sell its healthcare facilities management business to Serco (the deal included 15 contracts, with annual revenues of approximately £90M for which Serco
3458-602: The American colonies in the early 17th century and founded the town of Hempstead, New York in 1644. The first recorded mention of the town is the grant of land at Hamaele by Offa , King of Essex, to the Saxon Bishop of London in 705 CE. Hemel Hempstead on its present site is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a vill , Hamelhamstede , with about 100 inhabitants. The parish church of St Mary's
3591-586: The Building Engineering Services Association and the Electrical Contractors' Association found that 80 of them were collectively owed £30 million by Carillion, an average exposure of £375,000. Average debts owed to micro businesses (fewer than 10 employees) were £98,000; medium-sized businesses (50 to 249 employees) were owed on average £236,000, with the most exposed firm owed almost £1.4M. Only £31M of
3724-527: The Dorchester Hotel were notable examples. In the case of the Dorchester, when the client was unable to pay for the construction works, the company took possession of the completed building and operated it on its own account. In November 1934, Sir Robert died aged 87. Two weeks later his eldest son, the new Sir Robert, also died. William was appointed Chairman while Alfred remained in charge of
3857-543: The Earl of Leicester to prevent their enclosure . These were transferred to trustees in 1594. These have been used for public grazing and they are administered by the Box Moor Trust . Remains of Roman villa farming settlements have been found at Boxmoor and Gadebridge which span the entire period of Roman Britain . A well-preserved Roman burial mound is located in Adeyfield. A major Romano-Celtic temple complex
3990-451: The M6 motorway widening contract junctions 16–19, and, facing a £600,000 tax demand, had to file a notice of intent to enter administration, endangering 50 jobs. In October 2018, a report from accountant Moore Stephens said Carillion's liquidation had triggered a 20% spike in the number of UK building firms becoming insolvent: 780 companies fell into insolvency in the first quarter of 2018, up
4123-700: The Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (where 70 Carillion staff lost their jobs) in Birmingham, with the project 18 months late and likely to cost an additional £125M. However, in June 2018, banks financing the project withdrew their support, and HM Treasury cancelled the PFI contract for construction of the hospital, leaving the NHS Trust to search for new investment and pushing the completion date back to at least 2022. Market testing with contractors showed there
Sir Robert McAlpine - Misplaced Pages Continue
4256-671: The Midlands and London increased greatly. Hemel Hempstead was located on a direct route between these areas of industry and commerce and this made it a natural waypoint for trade and travel between the two. Initially the Sparrows Herne Turnpike Road was opened in 1762. In 1793, construction began on the Grand Junction Canal , a major project to provide a freight waterway between the Midlands and
4389-667: The National Audit Office , £2.6bn in pension liabilities have to be covered by the Pension Protection Fund . Carillion operated 13 UK defined benefit pension schemes with 27,000 members. Following the liquidation, 12 of these schemes entered a Pension Protection Fund assessment period. In January 2018, the contracts previously awarded to Carillion for smart motorway projects were taken on by Kier Group. Rival contractors looked to take over Carillion's two major hospital PFI projects. Skanska targeted
4522-631: The Port of London . In 1798, the canal from the Thames reached Two Waters, just south of Hemel Hempstead, and opened fully in 1805. Hemel's position on the commercial transport network was established further in 1837 when the route of the new London and Birmingham Railway reached the town. The line's construction had been delayed for several years by vigorous lobbying by a number of powerful local landowners, including Sir Astley Cooper of Gadebridge House, who were all keen to protect their estates from invasion by
4655-654: The Specialist Engineering Contractors Group said Carillion's failure "could lead to many smaller firms going under". Up to 30,000 small businesses were reportedly owed money by Carillion, who used 'delay tactics' and withheld payments to suppliers, sometimes for up to 120 days. Within 24 hours, equipment hire firm Speedy Hire and piling contractor Van Elle were reporting potential losses of £2M and £1.6M respectively; Van Elle also reported uncertainty relating to £2.5M worth of future work for Network Rail. A survey of 133 companies by
4788-915: The facilities management services sector. In September 2001, Carillion acquired the 51% of GT Rail Maintenance it did not already own, thereby creating Carillion Rail. Carillion Rail carried out track renewals on the rail network , and contract work for Network Rail . In August 2002, Carillion bought Citex Management Services for £11.5M and, in March 2005, it acquired Planned Maintenance Group for circa £40M. After that, Carillion went on to acquire two more United Kingdom support services firms: Mowlem , for circa £350M in February 2006, and Alfred McAlpine , for £572M in February 2008. Then, in October 2008, Carillion bought Vanbots Construction in Canada for £14.3M. Carillion bought Eaga , an energy efficiency business, for £306M in April 2011. However, by December 2011
4921-568: The " iron horse ". Their campaign was successful and the main line was routed along the River Bulbourne instead of the River Gade , skirting around the edge of Hemel Hempstead. As a result, the railway station serving Hemel Hempstead was built one mile outside the town centre at Boxmoor ; Boxmoor and Hemel Hempstead railway station (today's Hemel Hempstead railway station ) opened in 1837. The railways continued to expand and in 1877
5054-581: The "Top of the World". The redevelopment of the town centre was started in 1952, with a new centre based on Marlowes south of the old town. This was alongside a green area called the Water Gardens, designed by Jellicoe, formed by ponding back the River Gade . The old centre of the High Street was to remain largely undeveloped, though the market square closed and was replaced by a much larger one in
5187-484: The 18th century. In the Highbarns area, now residential, there was a collapse in 2007 of a section of old chalk workings and geological studies have been undertaken to show the extent of these workings. In the 19th century, Hemel Hempstead was a noted brickmaking , paper manufacturing and straw-plaiting centre. In later 19th and early 20th centuries, Hemel was also a noted watercress growing area, supplying 1/16 of
5320-891: The 8th century and was granted its town charter by Henry VIII in 1539. However, it has expanded and developed in recent decades after being designated as a new town after the end of the Second World War . The settlement was called Henamsted or Hean-Hempsted in Anglo-Saxon times and Hemel-Amstede by the time of William the Conqueror . The name is referred to in the Domesday Book as Hamelamestede, but in later centuries it became Hamelhamsted, and, possibly, Hemlamstede. In Old English , -stead or -stede simply meant "place" (reflected in German Stadt and Dutch stede or stad , meaning "city" or "town"), such as
5453-810: The CEK joint venture were offered the opportunity to join Kier/ Eiffage . Nationwide Building Society took on around 250 former Carillion employees engaged in facilities management work at its offices and branches. Around 1,000 Carillion staff engaged on prison facilities management work for the Ministry of Justice were transferred to a new government-owned company, 22 workers from Carillion's power network business joined J Murphy & Sons , around 60 staff at Carillion's Newcastle-based legal services arm joined Clifford Chance , and 700 employees engaged on Network Rail projects transferred to Amey Rail; Amey paid
Sir Robert McAlpine - Misplaced Pages Continue
5586-859: The Consulting Association for some years before it became publicly implicated in a construction industry blacklisting scandal in 2009 and was wound up. Subsequently, Sir Robert McAlpine was one of eight businesses involved in the 2014 launch of the Construction Workers Compensation Scheme, though this was condemned as a "PR stunt" by the GMB union, and described by the Scottish Affairs Select Committee as "an act of bad faith". On 11 May 2016, major companies, including Sir Robert McAlpine, issued an "unreserved and sincere" apology in
5719-589: The Consulting Association, including Cullum McAlpine and David Cochrane, and against 12 major contractors including Sir Robert McAlpine. In May 2019, the Unite union secured a further £1.9m in compensation for 53 blacklisted workers. Seven construction businesses, including Sir Robert McAlpine, also agreed to pay £230,000 for a Unite training fund to help those affected by the vetting system, and paid Unite's legal fees. However, Unite assistant general secretary Howard Beckett said "the refusal of Cullum McAlpine to give evidence
5852-552: The Hertfordshire Registration and Citizenship Service, Dacorum Community Trust, Mediation Dacorum, Relate and the Citizen's Advice Bureau. Several hundred new homes have been built alongside this new development and a riverside walk/cycle way established. The abandoned market square is set to be more leisure facilities. The Jellicoe Water Gardens have been restored, clearing up the overgrown trees, introducing
5985-462: The Insolvency Service. In November 2019, the liquidators said they were reportedly close to clawing back around £510M from asset sales, insurance and debt recoveries. The liquidation announcement had an immediate impact on 30,000 subcontractors and suppliers, Carillion employees, apprentices and pensioners, plus shareholders, lenders, joint venture partners and customers in the UK, Canada and other countries. Subcontractors were said to be vulnerable:
6118-580: The Milburngate development in Durham . In a further profit warning, on 17 November 2017, Carillion said it would breach banking covenants the following month, with full year debts set to reach up to £925M. A recapitalisation plan was to be implemented in early 2018. The company's share price fell over 50% in early trading to just 18p – valuing the business at £73M. Unite the Union sought urgent talks with
6251-470: The NHS Trust revealed that the cost of rectifying serious faults, including replacing non-compliant cladding installed by Carillion, was holding up plans to restart and finish the £350M project; with the project further delayed, the Trust was considering invoking a break clause to terminate the PFI contract. On 24 September 2018, it was reported that the government would step in to terminate the PFI deal, taking
6384-506: The Official Receiver announced an initial 377 redundancies; a further 994 redundancies were announced during February, 337 in March, 554 in April, 75 in May, 43 in June, 399 in July, and 9 in August, bringing the redundancy total by this date to 2,787 – 15% of the pre-liquidation workforce. In parallel, 13,945 jobs had been safeguarded through transfers (76% of the pre-liquidation workforce), while 1,274 employees left
6517-555: The Official Receiver established a specialist team and said former staff should receive the necessary information within seven days of being made redundant or transferring to a new employer. In July 2018, Unite launched legal action on behalf of 27 members made redundant at GCHQ in Cheltenham claiming proper consultation had not taken place; in July 2021, on behalf of 263 members seeking compensation over Carillion's failure to inform and consult them on redundancy terms, Unite secured
6650-412: The Official Receiver £2.1M for Carillion's rail contracts. French engineering group Egis took on Carillion's M40 upkeep motorway contract, safeguarding the jobs of around 95 Carillion workers. Carillion Welding was acquired by Rail Safety Solutions Ltd, saving 63 jobs. However, the transfer of some overseas-born staff to new employers was hampered by strict application of immigration rules that required
6783-503: The Plough Roundabout. The new centre includes several outlets for national retailers, including Starbucks and Waterstones . These two developments have moved the 'centre of gravity' of the retail centre away from the north end of Marlowes, which has become an area for secondary outlets. Further extensive redevelopment of the northern end of Marlowes was given the green light in 2007 and has since been completed. In late 2014,
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#17327761842516916-619: The UK Government had significantly reduced the feed-in tariffs for green energy and Carillion had to rationalise the business. In December 2012, it acquired a 49% interest in The Bouchier Group, a company providing services in the Athabasca oil sands area, for £24m. Then, in October 2013, the company bought the facilities management business of John Laing . In August 2014, the company spent several weeks attempting
7049-574: The XC, which contains a skate park, caving, climbing walls, high ropes, a café and counselling rooms for young people. It is co-run by Youth Connexions and Sportspace. The former John Dickinson & Co. mills site, straddling the canal at Apsley, was redeveloped with two retail parks, a Sainsbury's supermarket, three low-rise office blocks, housing, a mooring basin and a Holiday Inn Express hotel, as well as an additional office block. Some buildings have been retained for their historic interest and to provide
7182-465: The bottom of Hillfield Road in 1832. Despite the incursion of various forms of transport, Hemel remained principally an agricultural market town throughout the 19th century. In the last decades of that century development of houses and villas for London commuters began. Hemel steadily expanded, but only became a borough, with its headquarters at the old town hall on 13 July 1898. During the Second World War ninety high explosive bombs were dropped on
7315-465: The business through finding new work, retirement or for other reasons; a year after the liquidation, the total number of redundancies was reported as 3,038. Around £50M in redundancy payments had been paid up to September 2018, with the final bill likely to reach £65M. After staff made redundant claimed PwC did not provide information necessary for them to claim redundancy pay and statutory notice pay, causing financial hardship and threatening mortgages,
7448-642: The company have included: Sir Robert McAlpine is also involved in HS2 lot C1, working as part of joint venture, due to complete in 2031. Sir Robert McAlpine funded the initial establishment of the Consulting Association in 1993, providing £20,000, around half of which was used to buy a blacklist database from the Economic League and hire one of its former employees, Ian Kerr, as manager. Company director Cullum McAlpine served as chairman of
7581-480: The company's extended supplier payment terms and its use of ' reverse factoring ', argued Carillion was more leveraged than it reported, and predicted a "profit shortfall" was likely. By October 2015, Carillion had become hedge funds ' most popular share to ' sell short ' as analysts questioned the lack of growth and rising debt. From having less than 5% of its shares shorted at the beginning of 2015, over 20% of Carillion shares were on loan to hedge funds by June 2016;
7714-455: The company's road maintenance and facilities management contracts. Canadian FM firm BGIS, a subsidiary of Brookfield, negotiated to take on 2,500 workers engaged on UK hospital, education, justice, transport and emergency services contracts, but the negotiations failed on 8 March 2018. Out of nearly 1200 apprentices affected by Carillion's liquidation, around a third – 419 – were still without work in early April 2018; only two had been offered
7847-528: The company's share price fell 19% over the same period. On 10 July 2017, a Carillion trading update highlighted a £845M impairment charge in its construction services division, mainly relating to three loss-making UK PFI projects and costs arising from Middle East projects. Chief executive Richard Howson (appointed CEO in December 2011) stepped down but was retained as operations director, with Keith Cochrane temporarily becoming CEO (Carillion's search for
7980-501: The company, concerned about the future of around 1,000 Carillion workers plus others employed by subcontractors and agencies. Major shareholder Kiltearn Partners halved its shareholding incurring a loss of over £40M. On 20 December, Carillion announced it had brought forward the arrival of new CEO Andrew Davies to 22 January 2018. On 3 January 2018, it was reported that the UK Financial Conduct Authority
8113-568: The conduct of the firm's directors, its auditors ( KPMG ), the Financial Reporting Council and The Pensions Regulator , and about the UK Government's relationships with major suppliers working on private finance initiative (PFI) schemes and other privatised outsourcing of public services (in October 2018, the UK Government said no new PFI projects would be started). It also prompted legislation proposals to reform industry payment systems, consultations on new government procurement processes to promote good payment practices, and proposed FRC reforms to
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#17327761842518246-417: The contractor to complete the project. More than a year later, in November 2019, the defective cladding issue remained unresolved. In March 2020, the hospital NHS Trust revealed it was drawing up claims against Carillion's insurers and a Carillion subcontractor, Heyrod Construction. A delayed National Audit Office report into the government's handling of the Midland Metropolitan and Royal Liverpool hospitals
8379-436: The contractor, the total cost to the taxpayer would be very similar to the original plan. A follow-up investigation into the hospitals projects by the Public Accounts Committee was postponed in May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom . The Lincoln eastern bypass project, originally awarded by Lincolnshire County Council to Carillion, was taken over by Galliford Try , adding £24M in costs and delaying
8512-427: The cost of work done ("we were building a Rolls-Royce but only getting paid to build a Mini "), and its management structure and internal organisation had been over-complex and lacking sufficient regard to contractual risk assessment and overly optimistic assumptions; as a result, the company had "burned through cash" trying to deliver to a high standard without assessing the possible implications. In September 2019,
8645-399: The council began to improve the appearance of the original new-town's centre. The Old Town was refurbished with new paving, signage and landscaping. The old council buildings and library were closed and replaced with a new development named The Forum , which opened in early 2017. This area is now home to Dacorum Borough Council, the new library, Hertfordshire Police's Safer Neighbourhood Team,
8778-442: The country's national demand – following development of the New Town, the watercress growing moved to nearby Berkhamsted and Tring . The cress beds were redeveloped as the modern-day Water Gardens. Carillion Carillion plc was a British multinational construction and facilities management services company headquartered in Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom, prior to its liquidation in January 2018. Carillion
8911-572: The course of justice. In September 2017, McAlpine chief executive Paul Hamer tried to disassociate the company from continuing allegations of blacklisting in the construction industry, saying "Sir Robert McAlpine complies fully with all legislation to prevent blacklisting and is committed to fair and transparent recruitment. ... We have a zero tolerance policy towards blacklisting, illegal or unfair recruitment practices." The company defended itself again in December 2017 when Unite announced it had issued High Court proceedings against four former chairmen of
9044-443: The development would have a major impact on Hemel services and consequently has proven controversial. Land to the west of Chaulden and Warners End has been removed from the Green Belt designation and is due for development with 900 new homes. Historically, the area was agricultural and was noted for its rich cereal production. The agricultural journalist William Cobbett noted of Hemel Hempstead in 1822 that "..the land along here
9177-436: The early contracts centred on his own trade of bricklaying and by 1874 he was the owner of two brickyards and an employer of 1,000 men. It was on one of the housing estates he built that he first experimented with using concrete blocks as well as bricks (from which he earned the nickname 'Concrete Bob'). With the capital he had acquired, McAlpine determined to build a garden city at Hamilton, South Lanarkshire . Relying now on
9310-412: The estimated £1bn-plus owed by Carillion was covered by trade credit insurance. In late March 2018, Bury North MP James Frith hosted a meeting in Parliament attended by suppliers affected by Carillion's collapse; companies highlighted unpaid debts of between £250,000 and £2.7M. In August 2018, building services specialist NG Bailey announced a £2.2M exceptional loss for irrecoverable costs arising from
9443-404: The extended plans. Like other first-generation new towns, Hemel is divided into residential neighbourhoods, each with their own "village centre" with shops, pubs and services. Each neighbourhood is designed around a few major feeder roads with many smaller cul-de-sacs and crescents, intended to minimise traffic and noise nuisance. In keeping with the optimism of the early post-war years, much of
9576-615: The firm’s administration and finances. Undaunted by his earlier experience, McAlpine took on further railway contracts, this time successfully, including the Mallaig Extension Railway and the Glasgow Subway . There was an increasingly wide range of building and civil engineering contracts but the firm was almost brought to its knees again with the construction of the Methil Docks between 1909 and 1913. It
9709-579: The first roundabout off the M1 to symbolise its renewal. A number of businesses have since located into the Maylands area, including Costa Coffee , Lok'nStore and McDonald's . St Albans District council plans to meet its new homes building target by building on land to the east of Hemel Hempstead near the M1 motorway. This would comprise 2,500 new homes. The land is within St Albans planning jurisdiction but
9842-493: The former Tarmac Construction contracting business and the Tarmac Professional Services group of businesses. At the time of demerger Sir Neville Simms was appointed executive chairman of the business. Simms stood down from his executive responsibilities in January 2001 but remained non-executive chairman until May 2005 when Philip Rogerson took over the chair. The name 'Carillion', a corruption of
9975-498: The government said the CITB had found new paid employment for 777 former Carillion apprentices. On 31 July 2018, The Guardian highlighted the matter: Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail said: "This is an appalling way to treat these apprentices who should have become the backbone of the industry. To dump them and to destroy their training is an act of crass stupidity." In April 2018, Carillion's Wolverhampton headquarters
10108-424: The high court to hundreds of workers for putting them on the illegal blacklist and denying them work over two decades. The companies agreed to pay sums ranging from £25,000 to £200,000 to 771 people under out-of-court settlements to avoid a trial, while accepting that "their secret vetting operation should never have happened". However, evidence disclosed before the settlement led many of the victims to claim that there
10241-475: The hospital into full public ownership, meaning a £180M loss for private sector lenders Legal & General and the European Investment Bank . This was confirmed on 26 September 2018, with completion of the hospital in 2020 (later delayed to autumn 2022) likely to cost an additional £120M, due to unforeseen issues left behind by Carillion. On 26 October 2018 Laing O'Rourke was confirmed as
10374-399: The ice rink went under refurbishment. The cinema was expanded from eight screens to 17 with one large 281 IMAX auditorium. A nearby athletics track, opened in 1996, is managed by the sports group Sportspace, with a small adjacent children's play park. The track is used by local schools for sports days. The most recent facility, which opened in July 2011, is an extreme sports centre called
10507-572: The income from his estate, McAlpine’s attention moved away from his contracting business towards self-education. However, the financial panic following the collapse of the City of Glasgow Bank in 1878 virtually wiped out McAlpine financially: his mortgages were called in but his debtors did not pay him. The liabilities from the Hamilton estate were threatening the construction business and to protect it, Robert took his clerk into partnership, trading under
10640-536: The leadership team under CEO Paul Hamer. Edward McAlpine took over from Gavin McAlpine as chairman in January 2019. In the year to October 2022, the company had a turnover of £1.1bn with pre-tax profit of £9.3m. In 2023, Hamer reviewed the firm's structure and switched its focus to sectors rather than regions; the restructure was estimated to cost £8.4m and would result in annual savings of over £20m. However, Hamer did not see these savings realised – by February 2024, he
10773-562: The library, new police station and the Pavilion (theatre and music venue) were all built during the 1960s. The town seemed to attract its fair share of celebrity openings, with shops and businesses opened by Frankie Vaughan , Benny Hill , Terry-Thomas , and the new cinema was opened by Hollywood star Lauren Bacall . The last of the originally-planned neighbourhoods, Grovehill, began construction in 1967. However, further neighbourhoods of Woodhall Farm and Fields End were later built as part of
10906-413: The liquidation, described by the Official Receiver as "the largest ever trading liquidation in the UK". Work on finalising Carillion's trading accounts and payments to suppliers, and investigations into the cause of the company's failure, including the conduct of its directors, continued. In December 2018, it was reported that former Carillion directors Philip Green and Richard Howson had been interviewed by
11039-511: The list was mainly due to its previous ownership of Crown House Engineering (acquired by Laing O'Rourke in 2004), and previous use of TCA by Mowlem (acquired by Carillion in 2006). Carillion made two voluntary submissions to the House of Commons' Scottish Affairs Select Committee , one in September 2012, and another in March 2013, relating to its involvement with TCA. In July 2014, Carillion
11172-656: The local council but by a newly appointed government body, the Hemel Hempstead Development Corporation (later amalgamated with similar bodies to form the Commission for New Towns ). However, following a public inquiry the following year, the town got the go-ahead. Hemel officially became a New Town on 4 February 1947. The initial plans for the New Town were drawn up by architect Geoffrey Jellicoe . His view of Hemel Hempstead, he said,
11305-649: The loss of 200 jobs, in July 2019). On 23 March 2018, 160-strong mechanical and electrical subcontractor Vaughan Engineering warned it faced administration after losing £650,000 on two Carillion projects; KPMG were subsequently appointed as administrators, making 83 employees in Broxburn , 43 in Newcastle and 28 in Warrington redundant. Vaughan collapsed owing £9.2M to its suppliers, though one supplier, Bmech, later claimed that Vaughan used Carillion's collapse as
11438-511: The monastery at Ashridge . The town remained part of the monastery's estates until the Reformation and break-up of Ashridge in 1539 . In the same year, the town was granted a royal charter by Henry VIII to become a bailiwick with the right to hold a Thursday market and a fair on Corpus Christi Day . The first bailiff of Hemel Hempstead was William Stephyns (29 December 1539). Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn are reputed to have stayed in
11571-906: The most drastic procedure in UK insolvency law , with liabilities of almost £7 billion. In the United Kingdom, the insolvency caused project shutdowns and delays in the UK and overseas (PFI projects in Ireland were suspended, while four of Carillion's Canadian businesses sought legal bankruptcy protection), job losses (over 3,000 redundancies in Carillion alone, plus others among its suppliers), financial losses to clients, joint venture partners and lenders, to Carillion's 30,000 suppliers (some of which were pushed into insolvency), and to 27,000 pensioners , and could cost UK taxpayers up to £180M. It also led to questions and multiple parliamentary inquiries about
11704-417: The name "McAlpine". In 2008, Alfred McAlpine plc was acquired by Carillion and dismantled, thus making the "name war" irrelevant. In November 2017, the company announced 90 job losses in a cost-cutting drive following a loss-making energy from waste project. Six regional centres were to be cut to four. The company then announced a new board and leadership structure, with no McAlpine family members included in
11837-788: The name McAlpine & Co; the clerk was bought out not long after. McAlpine’s first large contract was a building for the Singer Manufacturing Company in 1883 and the profit from that enabled him to pay off his remaining debts. Almost immediately he faced further financial difficulties. Winning a contract for the Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway without the necessary technical knowledge, the subsequent rebuilding work and litigation meant another fresh start. In 1887, Robert took his two eldest sons, Robert junior and William, out of school to help him, with Malcolm and Alfred following soon after, and they did much to rationalise
11970-412: The nearby coal mines, leaving at 16 to become an apprentice bricklayer. Later, working for an engineer, he progressed to being foreman before starting to work on his own account at the age of 22. He had no capital other than that he could earn himself and his first contract involving the employment of other men had to be financed by borrowing £11 from the butcher. From there, McAlpine enjoyed rapid success;
12103-402: The new centre. The former private estate of Gadebridge was opened up as a public park. New schools and roads were built to serve the expanding new neighbourhoods. New housing technology such as prefabrication started to be used from the mid-'50s, and house building rates increased dramatically. Highfield was the next neighbourhood to be constructed. The M1 motorway opened to the east in 1959, and
12236-438: The new town as suburbs, villages and industrial centres, and were incorporated into the town. Jarman Park, the central location for leisure in the town, was previously agricultural land, which later becomes fields named after former town councilor and mayor, Henry Jarman, who oversaw the development of the New Town. The developments were built on land originally donated to the town for recreational purposes. Replacement open space
12369-520: The next few centuries including Thomas Becket in 1162. Hemel Hempstead was in the Domesday hundred of Danais (Daneys, i.e. Danish), which by 1200 had been combined with the hundred of Tring to form the hundred of Dacorum. This maintained its court into the 19th century. In 1290, King John's grandson, the Earl of Cornwall , gave the manor to the religious order of the Bonhommes when he endowed
12502-399: The operation in the north-west subsidiary, where he had been since 1918. The two London partners argued that the recession was impacting more on the north than the south and proposed closing Alfred’s company. Alfred, however, did not wish to return to London and, on an informal basis at first, the two businesses were run separately. The separation was formalised in 1940 and the northern business
12635-435: The original town on all sides. The original part of Hemel is still known as the "Old Town". Hemel Hempstead was announced as candidate No 3 for a New Town in July 1946, in accordance with the government's "policy for the decentralisation of persons and industry from London". Initially there was much resistance and hostility to the plan from locals, especially when it was revealed that any development would be carried out not by
12768-591: The population displaced by the London Blitz , since slums and bombsites were being cleared in London. On 4 February 1947, the Government purchased 5,910 acres (23.9 km ) of land and began work on the "New Town". The first new residents moved in during April 1949, and the town continued its planned expansion through to the end of the 1980s. Hemel grew to its present population with new developments enveloping
12901-585: The project's completion by six months to May 2020. The redevelopment of the Vaux Breweries site in Sunderland resumed, after a six-month delay following Carillion's collapse, in July 2018, with Tolent as the main contractor. Tameside Council 's 'Vision Tameside' project east of Manchester was taken over by Robertson Construction, but rising costs for this and other former Carillion projects meant 18 major investment projects were put on hold, while
13034-679: The public services carried on by Carillion staff, subcontractors and suppliers. Six UK Carillion businesses, including Carillion plc and Carillion Construction Ltd, were liquidated in the first phase. On 19 January, Carillion (AMBS) Limited was placed in provisional liquidation, and on 25 and 26 January 2018 ten further UK companies went into liquidation. Another business went into liquidation on 2 February, followed by ten more on 16 February 2018. Two Carillion businesses in Jersey and Guernsey also went into liquidation, in January and March 2018 respectively. In June 2018, Carillion ( Qatar ) LLC went into
13167-405: The realities of life on the building site for many Irish expatriates. The company is also mentioned in other songs, such as "Building Up and Tearing England Down," also written by Behan, though historian Ultan Cowley has suggested that the relationship between Irish labour and senior management at Sir Robert McAlpine was more collaborative than what is related in these songs. Until 2023, the company
13300-497: The roundabout was opened as it was originally designed. (It was quickly christened 'The Magic Roundabout ' by locals, echoing the name of the children's TV show.) The first houses erected as part of the New Town plan were in Longlands, Adeyfield, and went up in the spring of 1949. The first new residents moved into their new houses in February 1950. At this time, work started on building new factories and industrial areas, to avoid
13433-572: The site of a building or pasture, as in clearing in the woods. This suffix is used in the names of other English places, such as Hamstead and Berkhamsted . One theory suggests that a previous name for the settlement became corrupted to something similar to Hempstead, and that Hemel originated as a way of specifying Hemel Hempstead, as opposed to nearby Berkhamsted. Hemel is reflected in the German Himmel and Dutch Hemel , both of which mean 'heaven' or 'sky', so it could be that Hemel Hempstead
13566-593: The six months to 31 October 2018 – with its CEO blaming Carillion's collapse for the profit slump. In September 2019, Antrim -based electrical subcontractor Blackbourne ceased trading, making 86 staff redundant, partly due to Carillion debts incurred on the Royal Liverpool University Hospital project. At the time of liquidation Carillion employed 18,257 people in the UK. Liquidator PwC began staff consultations over planned redundancies and transfers to new employers. On 2 February 2018,
13699-505: The town at this time. In 1953, a collection of unusually fine medieval wall paintings dating from between 1470 and 1500 were discovered in a cottage in Piccotts End , a village on the outskirts of Hemel Hempstead. This same building had been converted into the first cottage hospital providing free medical services by Sir Astley Cooper in 1827. In 1581, a group of local people acquired lands – now referred to as Boxmoor – from
13832-488: The town becoming a dormitory town. The first factory was erected in 1950 in Maylands Avenue. As building progressed with continuing local opposition, the town was becoming increasingly popular with those moving in from areas of north London. By the end of 1951, there was a waiting list of about 10,000 wishing to move to Hemel. The neighbourhoods of Bennett's End, Chaulden and Warner's End were started. The Queen paid
13965-459: The town by the Luftwaffe . The most notorious incident was on 10 May 1942 when a stick of bombs demolished houses at Nash Mills killing eight people. The nearby John Dickinson & Co. factories which were used to produce munitions, were the target. After the Second World War , in 1946, the government designated Hemel Hempstead as the site of one of its proposed new towns designed to house
14098-562: The town features modernist architecture with many unusual and experimental designs for housing . Not all of these have stood the test of time. A significant issue was how to choose names for all the new roads. Many areas of the new town used themes e.g. fields, birds, rivers, poets, explorers, leaders, etc. In 1974, the government abolished the Borough of Hemel Hempstead and the town was incorporated into Dacorum District, along with Tring and Berkhamsted . The first chairman of that council
14231-542: The treatment of directors' bonuses paid in shares. The May 2018 report of a Parliamentary inquiry by the Business and the Work and Pensions Select Committees said Carillion's collapse was "a story of recklessness, hubris and greed, its business model was a relentless dash for cash", and accused its directors of misrepresenting the financial realities of the business. The report's recommendations included regulatory reforms and
14364-420: The use of the family name and won. The dispute centred on Alfred McAlpine's intention to trade under the name "McAlpine". There was previously a long-standing agreement within the McAlpine family not to make such a change but, following the death of Alfred McAlpine and his son, the board of Alfred McAlpine sought to make the change in any event. The effect of the judgment was to prevent Alfred McAlpine trading under
14497-536: The valley sides and onto the plateau above the original Old Town. To the north and west lie mixed farm and woodland with scattered villages, part of the Chiltern Hills . To the west lies Berkhamsted . The River Bulbourne flows along the south-western edge of the town through Boxmoor . To the south lie Watford and the beginnings of the Greater London conurbation . To the east lies St Albans ,
14630-408: The word ' carillon ' (a peal of bells), was intended to give the construction business a clearly defined, separate identity, and to distance it from its construction roots. It was proposed by London branding consultancy Sampson Tyrell (later Enterprise IG, part of WPP ). Under CEO John McDonough (formerly at Johnson Controls , and appointed Carillion CEO in January 2001), Carillion expanded into
14763-487: The work of Geoffrey Jellicoe has been installed on top of a new pillar. Isle of Man -based residential developer Dandara redeveloped the old Kodak headquarters into a block of flats, with a new footbridge to the Riverside shopping precinct. Since the 2005 Buncefield fire , the former Maylands Avenue factory estate, which was badly affected by the fire, has been rebranded as Maylands Business Park. A 40-tonne sculpture by Jose Zavala, called Phoenix Gateway, has been placed on
14896-693: The workers to apply for permission to remain in the UK. MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee , citing the case of Nigerian-born Hamza Idris, called on the Home Office to display flexibility and compassion, concerned that "scores" more workers might also be affected. In early February 2018, private equity groups Greybull Capital , Brookfield and Endless LLP were said to be interested in acquiring parts of Carillion that might be ringfenced for auction. On 8 February, PwC opened bidding for Carillion's rail division and several of
15029-414: Was "not a city in a garden, but a city in a park." However, the plans were not well received by most locals. Revised, and less radical plans were drawn up, and the first developments proceeded despite local protests in July 1948. The first area to be developed was Adeyfield. At this time the plans for a revolutionary double roundabout at Moor End were first put forward, but in fact it was not until 1973 that
15162-483: Was an illegal attempt by McAlpine executives to destroy evidence and cover up the involvement of key individuals when the blacklisting was discovered in 2009. The targets of the victims' intended criminal complaint included director Cullum McAlpine, and head of human resources, David Cochrane, who was a later chairman of the Association. Both denied involvement in destroying any relevant files and attempting to pervert
15295-486: Was argued that this led to a much more cautious approach to risk on the part of the sons, if not the father. The inter-war period saw the firm focusing solely on construction. Gray wrote that Sir Robert McAlpine “seemed to have been involved in every major building and civil engineering project that ever hit the headlines of the day.” They included docks, harbours, power stations, factories; the Wembley Stadium and
15428-513: Was built in 1140, and is recognised as one of the finest Norman parish churches in the county. The church features an unusual 200-foot-tall (60-metre) spire , added in the 12th century, one of Europe's tallest. After the Norman conquest , Robert, Count of Mortain , the elder half-brother of William the Conqueror , was granted lands associated with Berkhamsted Castle which included Hemel Hempstead. The estates passed through several hands over
15561-591: Was chairman John Johnson (1913–1977). In the 1980s, Dacorum District Council successfully lobbied to be recognised as the successor for the Royal Charter establishing the Borough of Hemel Hempstead and thus regained the Mayor and its Aldermen and became Dacorum Borough. Hemel Hempstead grew up in a shallow chalkland valley at the confluence of the rivers Gade and Bulbourne , 27 miles (43 km) northwest of central London. The New Town expansion took place up
15694-618: Was created in July 1999, following a demerger from Tarmac . It grew through a series of acquisitions to become the second largest construction company in the United Kingdom, was listed on the London Stock Exchange , and in 2016 had some 43,000 employees (18,257 of them in the United Kingdom). Concerns about Carillion's debt situation were raised in 2015, and after the company experienced financial difficulties in 2017, it went into compulsory liquidation on 15 January 2018,
15827-555: Was created to the east of the town, near Leverstock Green, Longdean Park and Nash Mills. The first phase of recreational facilities, which opened in 1978, was the Loco Motion Skate Park. Subsequently, it became a dry ski slope with a small nursery slope next to it. Both areas were removed to make way for the Snow Centre which opened in 2009. A Tesco superstore was built in 1994 along with a petrol station, which
15960-562: Was in a less-forested area open to the sky, while Berkhamsted (which could mean ' birch ', reflected in the Dutch berk ) was in a forest of birch trees. Another suggestion is that Hemel came from Haemele, the name of the district in the 8th century, and was most likely either the name of the landowner or meant "broken country". The town is now known to locals as Hemel. However, before the Second World War locals called it Hempstead. Emigrants from Hemel Hempstead, led by John Carman, settled in
16093-484: Was later expanded into a Tesco Extra. It was the first to be built with natural light let in. The Jarman Leisure Centre complex opened on 25 August 1995, originally managed by The Rank Organisation until 2007 and currently managed by the Tesco Pension Fund. The current 17-screen Cineworld is its flagship attraction. In addition to the cinema, there is an ice rink , several restaurants and a gym. When it
16226-577: Was little appetite to bid under a private finance model, and that a PF2 bid would be over £100M more expensive and take six months longer. As a result, the NHS trust sought direct government funding, and on 16 August 2018, the government announced it would provide funding to complete the hospital. Laing O'Rourke negotiated about the Royal Liverpool University Hospital , but the project remained stalled. In early September 2018,
16359-648: Was on gardening leave with former Lendlease boss Neil Martin taking over as CEO on 19 February 2024. In July 2024, Sir Robert McAlpine reported a £110m operating loss in the year to October 2023, with revenue down 19% to £881m. From the 1930s onwards, the company employed large numbers of Irish immigrants who had come to England looking for work. The harsh working conditions with which McAlpine's management treated their labourers has gone down in Irish emigrant folklore. The song " McAlpine's Fusiliers " (written by Dominic Behan and made famous by The Dubliners ) described
16492-830: Was one of eight businesses involved in the 2014 launch of the Construction Workers Compensation Scheme, though this was condemned as a "PR stunt" by the GMB union, and described by the Scottish Affairs Select Committee as "an act of bad faith". As one of the contributors to the scheme, Carillion reported in August 2016 "a non-recurring operating charge of £10.5M" representing the compensation and associated costs it expected to pay. In December 2017, Unite announced that it had issued High Court proceedings against 12 major contractors including Carillion. Concerns about Carillion's debt situation were voiced in March 2015 by UBS analyst Gregor Kuglitsch who highlighted
16625-489: Was opened as Leisure World at a cost of £22 million, the cinema originally featured eight screens and was operated by Odeon Cinemas , and later by Empire Cinemas until 2016. The complex also included the upstairs Toddlerworld play area, the Aquasplash water park, Hotshots, which was a 30-lane ten pin bowling facility with a bar, Jarman Park Bowls Club, which was an upstairs bowls facility with seven rinks, restaurants,
16758-625: Was organised on a regional basis; following restructuring in late 2017, four regional centres were created: Scotland-Northern, Central-Wales-West, Southern and London. In 2020, the Wales business was merged into an expanded South region. In 2023, the company was restructured to focus on sectors rather than regions. Target markets included healthcare, commercial offices, industrial, heritage and complex schemes delivered by its Major & Special Projects team, and rail, transport and nuclear sectors delivered by its infrastructure business. Projects undertaken by
16891-414: Was published in January 2020. The report warned of possible further significant cost increases, particularly to rectify the badly built Liverpool project, and blamed Carillion for pricing the jobs too low to meet specifications. The two projects were expected to cost more than 40% more than their original budgets, and to be completed between three and five years late. However, due to effective risk transfer to
17024-695: Was put up for sale for £3M. The building was not owned by Carillion; it had leased it for around £440,000 per annum after it had been bought by an unnamed private investor for £6.165M in January 2016. In July 2018, it was reported that the building had been sold (for an undisclosed sum). At this date, some 140 Carillion staff were still based at the building, working for PwC; over 320 staff had either left or been made redundant. Carillion-owned assets set for auction in July 2018 include 12 car parking spaces at Wolverhampton 's Molineux Stadium , and development land in Rowley Regis and Loughborough . According to
17157-656: Was renamed Sir Alfred McAlpine . During the Second World War Sir Robert McAlpine was one of the contractors engaged in building the Mulberry harbour units. The two McAlpine firms had non-compete arrangements and sites had a common “McAlpine” board irrespective of which firm it was. When both companies first went public, they did so under the names Newarthill for Robert and Marchwiel for Alfred. These arrangements continued until 1983. In 2003, Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd sued Alfred McAlpine plc over
17290-644: Was to go into liquidation (as opposed to administration), the company having issued a notice to the London Stock Exchange "that it had no choice but to take steps to enter into compulsory liquidation with immediate effect". The notice anticipated an application to the High Court for PwC to be appointed as Special Managers, to act on behalf of the Official Receiver . Carillion chairman Philip Green (appointed in May 2014) said: This
17423-498: Was to investigate the timeliness and content of Carillion announcements from December 2016 regarding its financial situation. Ten days later, the BBC reported that the company had "a matter of days" to avoid collapse and that Carillion was the subject of "high level government meetings". These meetings continued throughout the weekend of 13–14 January – covering the company's £900M debts, a £580M pension deficit, and many ongoing contracts for government departments – but broke up without
17556-485: Was to pay £47.7M – later cut to £29.7M – with Carillion losing £1bn from the value of its order book), and was planning to dispose of its Canadian operations to help shore up its finances. A week later, it was announced Carillion was selling its interest in developer Ask Real Estate to West Midlands developers Richardsons Developments for £14M. In December 2017, the Richardsons also acquired Carillion's interest in
17689-494: Was unearthed at Wood Lane End in Maylands in 1966. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Hemel Hempstead was an agricultural market town . Wealthy landowners built a few large country houses in the locality, including The Bury , built in 1790, and Gadebridge House , erected by the noted surgeon and anatomist Sir Astley Cooper in 1811. As the Industrial Revolution gained momentum, commercial travel between
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