果冻影院

Despite years of austerity, more than a quarter of the construction industry鈥檚 top 100 clients are either county councils or local authorities.

According to 果冻影院鈥檚 contracts leagues for the 12 months to the end of February 2018, 28 of the top 100 clients are some form of unitary authority, and aggregate spending has risen.

The top 100 clients are behind 拢29.6 billion-worth of work and 拢5 billion of that total comes from councils. At the same stage in 2017, the 27 councils in the top 100 had committed to spending of 拢3.9 billion.

The highest ranked local body in the latest tables is the Greater London Authority in 11th place after letting 拢494.9 million-worth of work although nearly half of this work comes from Transport for London.

The biggest spending county council is Surrey County Council with orders of 拢302.8 million, which puts the authority in 20th place. Surrey has teamed up with Woking Borough Council for the Market Square development in Woking. A half-share of this project puts Woking BC in 26th place with orders totalling 拢245.9 million.

Three other county councils are in the top 100 with Hampshire in 55th (with orders of 拢156.0 million), Cambridgeshire in 72nd (拢131.6 million) and Cardiff a place behind (拢131.0 million)

There are seven London boroughs in the top 100 and the highest ranked is Ealing in 17th with awards of 拢388.7 million including the 拢155 million regeneration of the Green Man Estate in West London. Next highest is Camden with spending of 拢256.2 million, which merits 27th place.

Other London boroughs in the top 100 include Lewisham in 46th (orders of 拢175.5 million), Tower Hamlets in 57th (拢151.1 million), Hounslow in 66th (拢142.2 million), Waltham Forest in 70th (拢134.4 million) and Sutton in 97th (拢97.4 million).

In addition to these London boroughs, Westminster City Council is also in 79th place with spending of 拢120.2 million

The bulk of Camden鈥檚 total comes from a joint venture with British Land for the 拢200 million One Triton Square development, which has been let to Lendlease and is about to start on site.

Other councils are also teaming up with private developers. Manchester City Council is ranked 39th with spending of 拢202.3 million. A quarter of that total comes from a share of the 拢110 million MIF Factory project, which the council is working on with Allied London.

Also, in the North West, Warrington Borough Council is ranked 45th with spending of 拢176.1 million on projects including the 拢50 million Bridge Street Quarter. Warrington is working on that scheme and a 拢19.6 million office scheme on Academy Way with Morgan Sindall.

Instead of working with the private sector, some local authorities are merging to increase spending power, such as the West Midlands Combined Authority, which is a grouping of 12 local authorities and three Local Enterprise Partnerships and ranked in 35th place with spending of 拢220.8 million.

However, 17 of the 28 councils in the top 100 are in southern England. Those 17 councils are behind 拢3.4 billion-worth of spending, which illustrates that the north-south divide remains as clear as ever.