Holding in Company

Balfour Beatty PLC
4 October 2000


Balfour Beatty plc ('Balfour Beatty') today received notice that Franklin
Resources Inc and its affiliates (which perform management and advisory
services for clients on a global basis) have, on behalf of clients, decreased
their notifiable interest in the ordinary share capital of Balfour Beatty and
now hold 37,462,892 ordinary shares, representing 8.93% of the issued ordinary
capital of Balfour Beatty.