Decision soon on 4,000 new homes.

Byline: By Ron Taylor

Contractors may not have to wait much longer for a decision on a huge housing framework deal in Sunderland.

Though bids from 10 firms hoping to land a share in the construction of 4,000 homes across the city were all over budget, savings on specification are being made by the registered social landlord client, Sunderland Housing Group.

However, if you are a betting man you could do worse than putting a few bob on the four lowest tenderers - Barratt, Frank Haslam Milan, Gordon Durham and Bellway. These companies are expected to carry out the bulk of the business during the five-year programme.

Even though the majority of the houses will be earmarked for rent, it's believed that up to a third may be offered for sale on the private market.

Birtley-based builder Turney Wylde linked with Barratt in its submission - Turney to take on the smaller jobs and Barratt the bigger projects.

Meanwhile Esh Winning-based housebuilder Dunelm's borderline bid may still join the leading quartet and secure a place at the table once quality submissions have been evaluated.

Rok Ballast and Gordon Durham have succeeded with pitches to partner North Tyneside Council in a multi-million pound programme to build, extend and improve schools.

Together with the council's own public works arm, the two private sector firms will enter into a framework agreement to undertake the lion's share of the authority's construction needs over three years.

This is due to start in April, with the potential for a further two-year option to follow.

Should North Tyneside prosper in its bid for funding from the Government's Schools for the Future Programme - the thrust of which is to raise the standard of every secondary school in the country - the three chosen organisations could be involved in work worth up to pounds 100m, according to council officer John Hollingsworth.

He said: "Depending on the extent of the Government cash allotted, as many as 16 schools in the borough could benefit."

Meanwhile, Steve Talbot buys from Billingham and Ken Atkinson for Gordon Durham from East Boldon.

Big bucks will be up for grabs at Gateshead, too, shortly. The end of the month should see the council's ALMO document released to contractors eager to win a piece of the action in the refurbishment of some 30,000 authority homes overseen by an arms-length management organisation.

Also in the mega-million league is Laing O'Rourke, which has landed its second Procure 21 contract in the North-East - a pounds 40m-plus contract to build a replacement Cherry Knowle Hospital at Ryhope.

The award comes on top of its successful 2003 bid to redevelop the pounds 15m St Nicholas Hospital in Newcastle.

Consultant engineers WSP input specialist design to both schemes.

Down the money scale to a 10-flat, student accommodation scheme at New Mills, Fenham, Newcastle, where Newton Moor picked up (almost inevitably, some would say) Gilesgate Properties' construction order.

And to Westfield House, Westerhope, Newcastle where Teesside-based Castle Construction is adding two extra chapels to the North Eastern & Cumbrian Co-operative funeral home.

Further afield at Saltburn-by-Sea, and after nine years of fund-finding by its dedicated committee, Hinderwell Village Hall is to be rebuilt.

About 10 separate funders are contributing to the pounds 465,000 build-cost project with SGW Construction (Redcar) as the principal contractor, Pearce Bottomley of Aberford the architects and Martin S Ramsden of Boston Spa as QS.

* Ron Taylor writes a weekly construction column for The Journal. Fax details of contract awards or projects in the pipeline to: [phone] or e-mail:[e-mail]