Accomodation arm Equion will build seven schools in Swindon and provide Cleveland with new police stations.

John Laing’s accommodation arm Equion has reached financial close on the North Swindon schools project and the Cleveland Police facilities project. The two PFI schemes have a combined capital cost of £95m.

Equion will build seven new schools for the North Swindon schools project and Equion FM will provide facility management for 25 years.

The £27m Cleveland Police project will deliver new divisional headquarter complexes in Middlesborough and Kirkleatham and new town centre offices at Redcar and Southbank. The project is expected to become operational in early 2007.

Laing also announced that the £300m Newcastle hospital PFI is reaching financial close. Laing said that Equion was expected to hold 40% of the equity in the project.

Laing has also been shortlisted to bid for the Thameslink franchise as part of a joint venture with MTR Corporation, which runs train services in Hong Kong.