Connaught trades in line

Services group Connaught is trading in line with expectations and has announced a major contract win.

In an interim management statement the group says it has made a "solid" start to the year and new order intake since the year end is £312million (2008: £320m).

This includes a new £125million, five year integrated services contract with Norwich City Council. This could extend to ten years and £250million.

This partnership will be the first to use the full range of Connaught's Social, Environmental and Compliance capabilities

The group said the current pressures on public sector spending are forcing a major shift in local government thinking and the need to deliver efficiencies is leading to an increased number of larger scale, multi-service contracts coming to market.

This has driven the increase in its pipeline from £4.0billion at the end of August 2009 to £4.5billion now.