The firms beat off 10 rival bidders to take the four-year construction partnership deal that includes works for large new-build and regeneration schemes inside and outside London.

The firms were signed up just weeks after the boards of Metropolitan and fellow south east housing association Thames Valley Housing revealed formal talks to form a partnership.

Over the coming months both will develop detailed plans for the proposed partnership to deliver 2,000 new homes a year of which approximately 80% will be affordable.

This is more than double the amount of building presently delivered by Metropolitan.

The housing association has several major schemes on the go including a major West London scheme in Hendon, where Barratt is building around 2,000 homes by 2028.

Higgins is also delivering a 130-flat scheme at Ealing Road in Brent and Galliford Try has also been earmarked to deliver a 200-home scheme at the former RAF Brampton at Wyton Airfield in  Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.