Circle 33 and Improvement group make it onto Islington shortlist

The two bidders left in the frame for a £20m first tranche of private finance social housing deals in north London have also made it onto the shortlist for a second wave of projects of similar value.

Last month, Islington council chose Circle 33 Housing Trust and the Partners for Improvement in Islington group to work up best and final offers for the first deal.

Now the pair is one of four outfits to pitch for the second wave schemes. The field is completed by a Ballast/Innisfree/Signpost/Nordeutsche Landesbanke consortium and the Inspire group (Kier/Laing/JSS Pinnacle/Caxton Islington).

Circle 33 has contractor Wilmott Dixon and the Royal Bank of Scotland as its partners under the banner of Homes for Tomorrow Two. Partners for Improvement consists of United House/Rydon/Hyde Housing Association/Bank of Scotland.

The deal involves refurbishing, maintaining and managing 2,400 council and 1,300 leasehold homes. The council is expected to pare down from four bidders to two later this year. A start on site will be made in 2003, with the concession running for 30 years.