Directorate Change

Ashtead Group PLC
23 October 2003

                                ASHTEAD GROUP PLC

                 Non-executive Director and Chairman Designate

Ashtead Group plc is pleased to announce that Cob Stenham has accepted an
invitation to join its board as a non-executive director as from 27 October
2003. He will become Non-executive Chairman on 1 January 2004.

Cob Stenham brings to Ashtead considerable and varied commercial and banking
experience gained principally in the UK and USA with major international
organisations such as Unilever plc and NV where he was Finance Director from
1970 to 1986. In 1978 and 1979 he was additionally Chairman of Unilever's North
American operations. Between 1986 and 1990 Cob was Chairman of Bankers Trust
Europe and a Managing Director of Bankers Trust New York and he was Executive
Chairman of Arjo Wiggins Appleton plc from 1991 to 1997. Earlier this year, Cob
stepped down as a non-executive director of Standard Chartered plc having held
office since October 1991 and, currently, he holds a number of non-executive
directorships of public companies, including being the Chairman of Telewest
Communications plc.

Henry Staunton will vacate the role of chairman on 1 January 2004 but will
remain a non-executive director of Ashtead.

Henry Staunton commented:

'It is appropriate for me to step down as chairman in favour of Cob Stenham as
the role requires more time to be spent on Ashtead affairs than I can give due
to my executive directorship with Granada plc and, in particular, my future role
with ITV plc, especially as George Burnett, Chief Executive, is currently
spending most of his time in the USA. I am very pleased to remain as a
non-executive director. It is a significant triumph for Ashtead to attract
someone of Cob's experience and status.

Cob joins us at a time when the Group is putting behind it the difficulties of
the last year and when its businesses in the USA, its principal market, are
beginning to show signs of improvement.'

For further information contact:

George Burnett     Chief Executive    Ashtead Group             01372 362300

For Cob Stenham:   Jane Hardman       0207 299 5557 or (mobile) 07778 034325

David Trenchard                       Tulchan Communications    020 7353 4200


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