London council seeks contractor-developer for 10-year job | Construction News

A London borough has alerted contractors to a decade-long partnership deal to deliver a pipeline of schemes.

Lewisham Council published a prior information notice that signalled its intention to go to the market formally in February.

The local authority said on 13 December it wanted to form a partnership for up to 10 years with “a single contractor-developer”.

This would deliver the borough’s pipeline of “large-scale brownfield and regeneration housing projects” added the notice.

Work would take place from design and planning phases through to construction, with the chosen partner acting as contractor on some schemes and as a developer on “land-led opportunities”.

The council added: “We are looking for an organisation with the financial gearing and capacity, along with a solid track record of working constructively with local authorities, to collaboratively unlock these major projects.”

It said it valued an “open approach that has a focus on delivery and cost certainty”.

The borough’s Building for Lewisham programme is expanding the way it creates social homes, using offsite manufacture as well as a range of delivery models.

The council has more than 10,000 families on a waiting list for residences.

Planning applications for two sites were submitted in recent months, covering almost 400 homes as well as commercial buildings and public realm works.

Capacity studies suggest the pipeline could be up to 1,710 new homes and the council said there was “considerable potential for the right partner to achieve attractive returns for the next decade”.

The notice said between three and five firms were likely to be shortlisted for the partner role.