黑洞社区

Going back to school paid dividends for Bovis Lend Lease after it spectacularly gatecrashed the contractors鈥� top 50 for the first time this year. Indeed, it went to the top of the class.

August鈥檚 league table again reflects the industry鈥檚 heavy reliance on public sector spending, and increasingly education in particular, to provide gainful employment.

Bovis Lend Lease鈥檚 success came from three 黑洞社区 Schools for the Future (BSF) projects: the 拢180m contract for the first phase of Birmingham council鈥檚 BSF programme, and two more projects in east Lancashire for Lancashire council worth a total of 拢71m.

School work also propelled second-placed Amey back into the top earners. The firm鈥檚 high standing came entirely from its 拢151m slice of the second phase of the 拢230m Bradford schools PFI project. Amey is part of a consortium that includes its parent Ferrovial, Costain and HSBC.

Even when civils work is added, Bovis and Amey still ranked as August鈥檚 second and third earners behind Balfour Beatty, which took the top slot after securing its largest monthly haul since January. But even its 拢718m total was boosted by its share of the 拢250m Stoke-on-Trent BSF scheme.

In a week when the government and opposition were falling over themselves to warn of future spending cuts, it looks doubtful that the industry can rely on taxpayers鈥� largesse to keep it in the black.

Plans to overhaul out-of-date college buildings have been effectively mothballed, and a similar scaling down of refurbishment plans in schools or the health sector will leave the industry vulnerable if the recovery fails to materialise and the commercial sector is unable to pick up the slack.

But for now the old government鈥檚 old 鈥渆ducation, education, education鈥� mantra is certainly helping the industry with its sums.

Over the year, Balfour remains comfortably ahead of all rivals, with Skanska and Laing O鈥橰ourke not so much snapping at its heels, as trailing in its wake.