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INDUSTRY UPDATES
Each month PSBJ rounds up the latest public sector construction updates, from new contracts to industry awards.
Lendlease wins £80m contract with university Lendlease’s construction business has announced it has signed a major new contract with Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). Lendlease has been appointed to undertake the enabling works and pre-construction services as principal contractor at the former Royal Mail sorting office at Copperas Hill, which is to be redeveloped into a flagship, state-of-the-art University building. Lendlease is the University’s preferred bidder for the whole project and already has staff on site surveying the existing structure, in order to strip it back to its frame ahead of developing it into a university building. The Copperas Hill development is expected to create a significant focal point for LJMU, and for the area of Liverpool City Centre where it is located, opposite Lime Street Station. It will create a gateway to Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter, and bring together the university’s Mount Pleasant and Byrom Street campuses. The new building will house the University’s three libraries (which will be combined into one facility), a central teaching unit with lecture theatres and seminar rooms, and study zones and IT suites.
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Projects, part of the Eric Wright Group, includes part demolition and remodelling of the three-storey Westbury Lodge building. The works, commissioned by Blackpool Council as part of the Local Education Partnership, will provide much-needed accommodation for nearby SEN providers, Park Community Academy and Woodlands Special School and the project is due to complete in April 2016. Westbury Lodge will accommodate up to 50 young people aged between 16 and 19 and include specialist facilities designed for profound complex learning difficulties and education needs, such as severe autism and other rare syndromes. The building had previously been a children’s home before being converted into office space and remained empty until work began at the end of last year. This unique project stems from a shared vision to achieve outstanding outcomes for all youngsters, helping to overcome learning barriers and build better life chances.
Preston duo to develop educational needs facility
Morgan Sindall starts work at new Pines School
A six-figure project to transform a former council office block in Blackpool into a 4,000ft2 facility for youngsters with Special Educational Needs (SEN) is underway. Designed by architectural and planning practice, Cassidy + Ashton, the 18-week project, delivered by Eric Wright Special
Construction and infrastructure company Morgan Sindall has started work on the new Pines Special Education Needs (SEN) School in Marsh Hill, Birmingham, won under the Constructing West Midlands (CWM) framework for Birmingham City Council (BCC). The CWM framework was
set up by BCC and Acivico and covers the whole of the greater West Midlands region. The school is one of eight that Morgan Sindall will be working on in the region under the framework. The Pines School project comprises a £6.9m refurbishment of the derelict Josiah Mason College and Canavan building on Marsh Hill, which is due to complete in autumn 2016. The project will provide a modernised environment to suit the needs of the 200 reception to key stage six children with SEN. The school will be split across two buildings, both three storeys, and will include new teaching areas, shared halls, dining, kitchen facilities and external play and learning areas. The structure includes a number of sensory spaces that include specialist Speech and Language Therapy and Calm rooms for the children.
Framework success for expanding contractor Preston-headquartered Conlon Construction has secured a place on the North West Construction Hub (NWCH) Low Value Framework, comprising projects valued between £500,000 and £2m. Having been approved by the NWCH to the Medium Value Framework in February 2015, this latest batch of works covers both construct only and design & build projects across the North West of England. Twelve contractors have been selected for the Low Value Framework consisting of 10 lots over five sub-regions. Conlon ranked first in each lot. Speaking of the appointment, Michael Conlon, chairman at the family-run business, said: “Being appointed to frameworks such as these are testament to the quality of work that we deliver and to have been selected for two bands is a great opportunity for the business. “Procurement via frameworks is very common with public sector projects as it delivers greater efficiencies in terms of cost and timescales, so we’re pleased to have been pre-approved for work of this nature across the North West of England.”