Bouygues UK, Bouygues Construction's British subsidiary, has recently won two new contracts worth 115 million euros in all. 
The first project, worth 59 million euros, is for the design and construction of 2 schools in the east London borough of Tower Hamlets. It will combine new construction and refurbishment. As well as taking in pupils, the new schools - built under the BSF ⁽¹⁾ programme - will provide continuous training for teachers and amenities like a library, sports facilities and a theatre that will benefit the community as a whole. The first school to be built will have a carbon footprint 60% smaller than is customary for this type of building, with emission levels being reduced by the use of natural light sensors, for example. 
The contract also includes an optional phase for the construction of 16 additional schools. The works for the 226 million euro-phase are expected to start from 2010. 
The second contract, worth 56 million euros, is a design-build contract for social housing. A PFI ⁽²⁾ project, it has been developed in partnership with Hyde Housing Association, a social landlord. Situated in the London borough of Brent, it will comprise 195 social housing units and 20 studio apartments for the mentally-impaired. The work, which has just started, will take two and a half years (32 months). 
The two contracts reinforce Bouygues Construction's position as a major player on the British market. The Group has been operating in the UK for over 10 years and has grown strongly, winning major building, public works, electrical contracting and facilities management contracts (see appendix on following pages). The takeover of Warings in December 2007 extended the Group's geographical coverage. 
Bouygues Construction expects to report UK sales in excess of 560 million euros in 2008, 30% up on 2007. 
  
⁽¹⁾ Building Schools for the Future, a schools modernisation programme, was launched by the Department for Education and Skills in February 2004 with the aim of providing world-class teaching and learning environments for all pupils, teachers and communities in England. 
⁽²⁾ Launched in 1992 by the UK government, Private Finance Initiative (PFI) schemes are a form of long-term contract under which a public authority can use a private-sector partner to design, finance, build and operate public infrastructure in return for a fee or a toll.