Update: Laing O'Rourke confirmed as preferred bidder for £200m BSF scheme

Laing O’Rourke has beaten Skanska this week in the race to become preferred bidder on Newham Council’s £200m Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme in London.

Newham Learning Partnership (Laing O'Rourke Portfoilio Projects Ltd) and Skanska were both shortlisted in January this year on Newham's BSF scheme which will see four schools completely rebuilt and another nine remodelled and refurbished.

Laing O'Rourke will deliver the new build element of the scheme, with local firm Jerram Falkus carrying out the refurbishment work, estimated at around £50m in the first phase. Sources say Laing O'Rourke's decision to use a local builder, with a track record in school building work, swung the deal in its favour.

The newly built schools will be Little Ilford, Lister, Rokeby and Stratford schools, while Brampton Manor, Eastlea, Forest Gate, Langdon, Plashet, Royal Docks, St Angela's, St Bonaventure's and Sarah Bonnell schools will all be modernised to meet BSF standards.