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Kier completed a hat-trick in November, coming top of the monthly leader board for the third month in a row. This time it was mostly thanks to a 拢110.2m repair and maintenance project for Barnsley council under the Decent Homes initiative.

R&M was the subject of some debate last week after the Office for National Statistics showed it was 10% higher in the third quarter of 2009 compared with the previous three months. Although some said this pointed to a boom in R&M work in 2010, which has been the case coming out of previous recessions; others questioned the accuracy of the figures.

Writing in his new blog for the 黑洞社区 website, construction economist Brian Green said: 鈥淛udging by the yelps of anguish from the Federation of Master Builders, I suspect there is a lot less R&M work about than the official figures suggest.鈥�

Balfour Beatty finished in second place with 50 projects worth a total of 拢112m. These included a 拢22.2m job for East Manchester academy and a 拢16.4m business and enterprise centre 鈥� both for Manchester council. To complete a trio of jobs for the same client, it also won a 拢15m deal for Burnage high school in Manchester.

Sir Robert McAlpine came in third place with three jobs worth 拢96.9m, largely owing to an 拢84.5m 黑洞社区 Schools for the Future scheme for Newcastle council.

The total work won by the top 30 contractors was about a third down on October at 拢1.18bn compared to 拢1.71bn. Meanwhile the number of contracts won was 347 compared to 275, producing an average contract value of 拢3.4m compared with 拢6.2m in October.

In November 2008, when Kier also topped the leader board, the average contract value for the top 30 was 拢4.3m. In November 2007, when Sir Robert McAlpine topped the table, the average contract value was 拢7m.

Balfour Beatty continued to dominate the annual rolling leader board, by a distance of 拢4.2bn, for the second month running.

See attached graphics for tables.