Rok beats Kier to £11m ex-Verry contract

Rok has signed a deal to finish the £11m Futures Community College in Southend-on-Sea, Essex this week and is set to start work on site on 1 June.

The contractor was initially rejected for the job in favour of William Verry. After the London firm went into administration McLaren, who is taking on the majority of William Verry's work, made a bid for the job.

But client Prospects College rebuffed McLaren, and instead entered into talks with original bidders Kier and Rok regarding the remainder of the work.

A source close to the project said: "The job is around 20% complete and we are very happy with the package Rok has offered us."

Meanwhile, McLaren has lost out on another William Verry contract - the £13m Humanities Building for Queen Mary University in East London.

The job, which was five months into construction when William Verry went into administration, has been advertised.

One of the conditions of the tender states that the new contractor will not be obliged to take on any existing subcontractors.

It is understood that Stockton-on-Tees based LJJ Contractors had been carrying out mechanical and electrical work on the Mile End site, while local firm Ferguson Construction was brought in to do block and brick work.

So far, foundations at the site and piling for the ground source heat pump have been completed and the concrete frame has been built up to second-floor level in places.

Work is set to start on 3 August and finish in August 2010.

When finished, the building will be five storeys, with a 300-seat lecture theatre, seminar rooms and office space.