CONTENDERS in a race to win an £80million contract to regenerate a New Southgate housing estate will be handpicked by a team of three councillors if a cabinet motion is voted through.

The Ladderswood Estate received the go-ahead from Enfield Council in September 2009 who must now choose which of three developers and social landlord partnerships will build and manage the scheme which includes hundreds of new homes by 2016.

Rival designs went on show at a public exhibition last month but the final say will be in the hands of Labour council leader Doug Taylor, regeneration boss Councillor Del Goddard, and lead member for finance Councillor Andrew Stafford.

In a report to cabinet, which meets tomorrow night, council officers advised members to vote in favour of the proposal in order to meet project deadlines including choosing a winner by May 2011.

Councillors will also be asked to approve £2.7million funding to allow its property services to buy the remaining leaseholds from homeowners on the estate.

The report reads: "By delegating authority to short-list...the council is able to deliver the procurement to timetable. Bidders will be informed of the decision to short-list within a reasonable timeframe and confidence will be maintained.

It adds: "It will prevent unnecessary delays which will ultimately impact on the start on site date for development and the delivery of new social rented homes on Ladderswood."

The decision will be based on whether bids from Mulalley & Co Ltd in partnership with One Housing Group; Barratt in partnership with London and Quadrant, and the Notting Hill Housing Trust in partnership with Higgins Construction meet the council's design brief - set by the previous Conservative administration.

Compulsory features include social housing, private homes, a community centre and space for businesses. A report explaining their decision would be published in November.

But New Southgate resident John Waller was concerned about the quality of all three designs and will make a deputation urging councillors to create a new brief.

He said: "Tenants, residents and traders should not simply be told what 'choice' to expect. The current administration should abandon the defective brief of the previous administration; determine a sound brief; and deliver for and with local people, town planning protection and meaningful public consultation and sound design options."

Among his fears were the increase of traffic in Station Road, New Southgate, over-development owing to high-rise blocks of flats that would tower above the North Circular and a lack of council-owned properties in favour of housing associations.