PFI schools shortlists

Consortia are in the hunt for two local authority private finance education schemes in London, worth £25m apiece.

The roll call for a Harrow council project is: a consortium headed up by the Mill Group and including Skanska and Norwich Union; the Mace group, with Bowmer & Kirkland as contractor and Emcor Drake & Scull handling facilities management; and Focus Education, featuring Bovis Lend Lease and facilities manager Sodexho.

The contract includes building the Woodlands First and Middle Schools and the Kingsley High School for children with special needs, plus constructing the Little Stanmore First and Middle Schools.

The bidders will return tenders around October, with work on the project due to kick off next spring.

The second project, for Bexley council, involves redeveloping the Welling and Bexleyheath secondary schools. Focus Education and the Mill Group figure again, with a consortia headed up by King Sturge and contractor Ballast as the third contender.

The groups will also have to work up variant bids containing base-cost information.

Work on site is expected to start in April 2003.