A CONSTRUCTION company is to establish a base in the North-East after winning a social housing contract worth £27.2m.

Yorkshire-based firm Southdale will open a base in Darlington, after winning contracts to build houses in the town, as well as in Middlesbrough, Redcar, east Cleveland, and Consett, County Durham.

The firm, which has 20 years of experience in housing projects, also said it would expand into schools and healthcare.

The contracts in the region are:

● Westfield, Redcar, worth £12.5m – 123 homes for sale orrent by April 2012;

● Former Beaumont Hill School, Darlington, worth £11m – 106 homes for rent or low-cost ownership by March next year;

● Acklam Community Centre, Middlesbrough, worth £2.7m – three-storey community centre development with conference facilities, youth centre, cafe and offices, by January next year;

● Castledene Road, Consett, worth £1m – nine threebedroomed houses by December.

Paul Moore, managing director of Southdale, said: “These contract wins rubber stamp our continued growth, increased market share in the North-East and our strategic ambitions for the business over the next six to 12 months.”