Firm hit with 拢50m in losses on waste management jobs

Amey narrowed pre-tax losses last year but the firm still ended up nearly 拢100m in the red as the company counted the cost of a series of problem jobs which landed it with a bill of more than 拢60m.

It said it has been forced to shell out close to 拢50m to cover losses on two waste management contracts at Milton Keynes and the Isle of Wight while it has racked up a 拢10m hit on a highways maintenance contract it is carrying out in Sheffield for the city council.

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Amey is hoping to sell non-core businesses including utilities and environmental services

The firm, which has put its utilities and environmental services businesses up for sale, said the provisions meant it stayed firmly in the red with a 拢98m pre-tax loss 鈥 although this was down on the restated 拢109m pre-tax loss it posted in 2019.

Amey鈥檚 post-tax loss of 拢102m was significantly down on the 拢217m post-tax loss it was hit with in 2019 following the losses it took on the Birmingham PFI highways contract.

Turnover at the firm, which is owned by Spanish contractor Ferrovial, slipped 6% to 拢2.4bn. The accounts show that Ferrovial pumped in more than 拢280m into the business last year.

Amey said the impact of covid-19 had been closer to its 鈥渟evere鈥 scenario it drew up in the wake of the first lockdown last March because of the impact on its waste treatment and utilities businesses as well as its work on the railways where it operates the Docklands Light Railway on behalf of Transport for London.

The firm said it furloughed 755 employees out of its 15,500 staff and only had seven staff remained on the initiative at the end of the year.