Lovell has been awarded a c. £250m contract by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to build more than 900 new homes. They will be for troops and their families relocating from Germany to Salisbury Plain in South Wiltshire as part of the Army Basing Programme (ABP).
Working to a handover rate of 20 homes a week, the high-volume fast-track homes project will be the company’s largest ever contracting scheme. Contracts have been signed for the landmark deal which will see Lovell, part of UK construction and regeneration group Morgan Sindall Group plc, construct 917 homes at three sites in Bulford, Larkhill and Ludgershall by May 2020.
Construction is set to start in early 2018 after the completion of essential pre-commencement works, including the creation of new roads and other infrastructure, which began in spring 2017.
The contract award follows Lovell’s successful completion of 346 high-quality homes in just over a year for returning soldiers and their families moving to Stafford in 2015. Lovell was selected through a two-stage tender process which has enabled the company to be closely involved in the scheme’s design development and engage at an early stage with the extensive supply chain that will be needed.
Mark Duddy, ABP Programme Director, said: “I am delighted that his contract has been awarded; this signifies a major milestone in the delivery of the Army Basing Programme. This substantial investment by the MOD will provide modern homes for our Service personnel and their families as they return from Germany in 2019 or relocate within the UK. I look forward to continuing our strong working relationship with Lovell.”
Lovell Major Projects Director John Leary added: “Our team bring to the scheme considerable expertise in careful planning and management of logistics which are essential to achieving the pace of delivery required, with the focus throughout on constructing homes safely and to the very highest standards.”
Lovell believes the project will deliver faster construction times than any other UK low-rise homes scheme, with the exception of the previous project delivered by the company for the MOD at Stafford.
The collaborative working relationship with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation was a crucial factor in the delivery of the earlier project and will be integral to the Salisbury Plain scheme. The scheme will also rely on the support and skills of a high-calibre supply chain, including some of the partners who worked on the earlier development. The accelerated construction programme for the Salisbury Plain project will see the scheme deliver 20 completed homes a week. Energy performance for all homes will be equivalent to Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
The overall Salisbury Plain project will create economic benefits locally: over the length of the construction programme, it is estimated it will generate in excess of £100m for the local economy through investment in the supply chain. Lovell has already held a number of ‘Meet the Buyer’ days in the area to enable local contractors and suppliers to explore opportunities to work on the project. With up to 700 construction workers set to be on site at the peak of the development, the scheme will create a significant number of jobs locally in Hampshire and Wiltshire, as well as training opportunities, including apprenticeships.
