Two education contracts helped firm beat July鈥檚 15% decline in new work for top firms

The summer slowdown knocked 15% off the value of projects won by the top 10 contractors last month.

Contracts worth 拢705m were won by the industry鈥檚 leading firms in July, down from 拢834m the previous month.

But Willmott Dixon bucked the seasonal trend to storm up eight places and claim the top spot, winning 拢146m worth of work.

Willmott was helped to the win by two major education contracts, including a 拢33m deal with the University of Cambridge to build a new building for its department of materials science and metallurgy.

A further 拢19m contract to build the Skinners鈥 Kent Academy for Kent council added to the haul.

Bam Construct also climbed five places to take second place, boosted again by two lucrative education contracts in Scotland to build high schools for East Renfrewshire (拢28m) and Midlothian (拢35m) councils.

Balfour Beatty spent another rare month out of the top 10 in 12th place, but again led the table for work won over the whole year with almost as much work won as the second to fourth-placed contractors combined.

Housing experienced a sluggish July with 拢112m of work won by the top 10 housebuilders, its worst month for over a year.

Public sector work also dropped for the third month in a row, with only 拢384m contracts gained by the leading contractors.

Among the regions, the Midlands had a bumper month, with 拢777m worth of work won by the top 10, making it the most active region, ahead of 拢355m won in the South-east.

Among the large contracts won was a 拢29m retirement village in Hagley Road, Birmingham, won by Galliford Try.

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