Keepmoat wins £40m S Yorks housing work

Local firm Keepmoat has locked out rivals Lovell, Kier, Connaught and Rok from a £40m housing revamp deal in South Yorkshire, but other elements of the framework scheme will have to be retendered later this year because the bid failed the 'value for money' test.

Keepmoat's Decent Homes contract, for stock-transfer organisation ACIS, runs for five years, covers 1,200 homes, and centres on Sheffield.

But the full-blown project also involves Gainsborough and surrounding rural areas.

A source told CJ: "ACIS was in talks with Rok over this part of the project, but although quality aspects of the bid were exceptional, the costs were too high and bust the business plan.

"The strategy now is to re-advertise the rest of the scheme, with a view to getting it underway next April - but ACIS may have to lower its expectations."