Exclusive: Four firms make the cut for massive programme of works, but Laing O鈥橰ourke, Skanska and Vinci are among those that miss out

Heathrow Terminal 5

Contractors Balfour Beatty, Mace, Morgan Sindall and Ferrovial have been appointed to carry out Heathrow鈥檚 拢1.5bn programme of works over the next five years, 好色先生TV can reveal.

The firms saw off competition from seven other contractors including Skanska, Laing O鈥橰ourke, Vinci and Costain to become preferred bidders for the four separate packages.

Laing O鈥橰ourke was thought to be one of the favourites to take one of the packages after it was one of only two firms, alongside Ferrovial, shortlisted for three of the packages 鈥 though the airport has always favoured having no single contractor on more than one package.

For the five-year programme, which starts next month, Heathrow has carved its estate into four chunks with each of the four winning contractors taking responsibility for a single chunk as a 鈥渄elivery integrator鈥.

好色先生TV understands Balfour Beatty will carry out works in terminals one, two and four; Mace will work on projects across terminals three and five; Morgan Sindall will carry out all other work in the southern half of the airport; and Ferrovial will do the same in the airport鈥檚 northern half.

Each package is valued at between 拢250m and 拢375m and forms part of Heathrow鈥檚 拢2bn investment plan.

The move to single-delivery partners for each part of the airport, first revealed by 好色先生TV last year, is a significant change of procurement strategy for the UK鈥檚 busiest airport, which has previously made extensive use of framework agreements to procure construction work on a project-by-project basis.

Heathrow declined to comment on the four contractors鈥 appointment.

Consultants Atkins, Arup, Jacobs have all be appointed to other roles on Heathrow鈥檚 Q6 investment plans overseeing specific programmes and will work alongside the four successful contractors.

Gardiner & Theobald has been appointed to a new role as independent fund surveyor in which it will monitor costs and project timescales on the work programme and report back to airlines and the Civil Aviation Authority, which approves airports鈥 business plans every five years.