Argyll Insurance Services, the Worthing-based insurance brokers, has struck a major deal with Coventry City Council.

The council is trans-ferring its entire housing stock to a newly-formed private housing association and Argyll played an important role in providing cover against any future environmental problems that might affect the sites involved.

Argyll chairman Kevin Young said: "As the Government puts pressure on local authorities, land owners and developers to use brownfield instead of greenfield sites for house and industrial develop-ment, a whole raft of liabilities face all these parties.

"These liabilities often discourage the redevelopment of such sites and result in the use of a greenfield alternative. One of the most significant is the environmental liability."

With more than 20,000 properties on its books, Coventry's deal was the largest social housing stock transfer to date, and resulted in Argyll placing the largest-ever, environmental insurance indemnity written for a UK risk.

Argyll has a new man at the top.

Chris Gibson, former business manager of GCU Insurance in the South-East, has joined the company as its chief executive.

Mr Gibson started his insurance career with Northern/CU, working in underwriting in the City. After five years, he became a City inspector. Sales and underwriting management positions followed, before he moved to Brighton in 1990 as development manager for Commercial Union and later, business manager at Brighton and Maidstone.