Users of brick tools in Hertfordshire have been awarded preferred bidder status on an £80 million contract.

Balfour Beatty was chosen by the local authority to take on the work at schools in Stevenage.

Construction is due to begin in February 2011 on the programme, which will see two secondary schools and one special educational needs institution designed and built.

The money also goes towards facilities management, which will also be undertaken by the firm.

Investing equity of £5 million into the 25-year concession for the maintenance and construction of two schools on the same site, the business will also be responsible for the design of the third school for a decade.

Chief executive of the company Ian Tyler said the organisation was "delighted" to be offered the contract.

"It demonstrates the benefits of our integrated offer and our ability to continue to win work in the education sector," he added.

This comes after a £12.2 million housing development was approved in the West Midlands recently.

Being built to create more space for the accommodation of people over the age of 55 in West Bromwich, the Greets Green project will see the construction of 92 self-contained apartments.

Posted by Andrew Miles