Willmott Dixon

Willmott Dixon Looking to Expand Sunesis School Building System

Willmott Dixon, the leading independent supplier of construction and property services in the UK is targeting a pipeline that has been valued at £100 million. The construction pipeline consists of orders that will be complete using their pre-designed school system, which is called Sunesis. Willmott Dixon has announced this ambitious

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Willmott Dixon to Build New Bristol Office Building

Construction of a 95,000 sq ft speculative office building in Bristol is set to begin following the appointment of Willmott Dixon to a £20m development contract. The building called Aurora is part of Finzels Reach, the new quarter being created in the heart of Bristol by Bristol-based developer Cubex. Gavin

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Willmott Dixon Partnerships Re-Branded as Fortem

Willmott Dixon Partnerships, the property repairs and maintenance specialist, is set to change its name to Fortem. Fortem is a Latin word for strength and prudency. The rebranding from Willmott Dixon Partnerships comes as part of a fresh approach. The company is looking to provide the senior management team with

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Property Developer Willmott Residential Appoints New Advisor

Willmott Dixon has appointed Richard Blakeway as a new strategic advisor for the division in an attempt to strengthen its residential property developer arm. Mr Blakeway has a significant amount of experience in the industry and is a former Greater London Authority (GLA) deputy mayor for housing. Since leaving GLA earlier

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Scape Introduces New £7bn Procurement Framework

Leading procurement organisation, Scape Group is upping the value of its national construction framework from £5.5bn to a whopping £7bn, a boost which will see the body’s framework become the country’s most valuable procurement framework. The rise has been planned for a while; notice was published by Scape in the

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Latest Issue
Issue 325 : Feb 2025

Willmott Dixon

Willmott Dixon Looking to Expand Sunesis School Building System

Willmott Dixon, the leading independent supplier of construction and property services in the UK is targeting a pipeline that has been valued at £100 million. The construction pipeline consists of orders that will be complete using their pre-designed school system, which is called Sunesis. Willmott Dixon has announced this ambitious target following the appointment of Fran Cox from the Head of Schools and Infrastructure at Bedford Borough Council as the new Operations Director. The pan is for Fran Cox to lead the growth plans at Sunesis, a system that is jointly owned by Willmott Dixon and Scape Group. It has been predicted that the country will require more than 2,000 new schools over the course of the next few years. Hopefully Fran and Sunesis will be able to play an essential role in meeting the demand for school places on a national scale. Sunesis has already delivered 28 primary schools since their first commission in 2011. The division has also worked to complete 40 school extensions which has led to 18,000 new school places being created in total. At the moment, Sunesis has a range of three primary schools that are already pre-designed. These three schools are available with a fixed cost and a fast-track programme that means the work to construct the school can be completed within nine months of the project first being commissioned. Fran’s recent appointment as Operations Director is vital to drive forward Willmott Dixon’s upcoming plans for growth in order to become a more established provider of new schools. Fran Cox’s experience working at Bedford Borough Council will be vital with the development of Sunesis. Fran has also experienced working with Sunesis as a client which will be valuable for understanding the needs and requirements for company will need to fulfill. Sunesis has a great amount of potential and Fran Cox will be an asset to the company as they work to create more school places for children around the country.

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Carbon60 Has Released Information That Looks Into How Contractors Are Involved in the Construction Industry

Carbon60, the technical recruitment company has released information that looks into how contractors that are involved in the construction industry are managing to increase the number of projects completed that have an element of social value and considerations for the local community. It now widely considered that the social factors of a construction project is vitally important although does not necessarily receive an adequate level of exposure. Social value as a factor was added in 2013 to Carbon60’s insight. However there is an increased level of recognition being given to it because it has been seen to benefit construction projects. An increasing number of contractors that work within the private sector are utilising social value as a way of measuring the success of their projects and as more time goes on there is expected to be a higher demand for access to this information in the future. The Carbon60 report that has recently been published also looks at a number of different case studies and how big companies within the sector such as Kier Construction and Willmott Dixon has been working in order to put more investment into the community around projects that are being carried out as well as taking part in work support and help disadvantaged groups. Similar works that are carried out by these companies and other construction contractors has contributed to a reduction of £15-20 billion that is lost each year by the British Council of Offices in possible social benefits. Carbon 60 think that monitoring the social value in a project can add extra challenges to a construction project however, it is important for companies to support the local community such as the creation of jobs in the area. The recruitment company feel that supporting and improving the employment in the local area of the is a vital part of adding social value on to construction projects and developments.

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Willmott Dixon to Build New Bristol Office Building

Construction of a 95,000 sq ft speculative office building in Bristol is set to begin following the appointment of Willmott Dixon to a £20m development contract. The building called Aurora is part of Finzels Reach, the new quarter being created in the heart of Bristol by Bristol-based developer Cubex. Gavin Bridge, director at Cubex, said: “This is a fantastic milestone for Aurora. With cranes arriving on site now and construction activity moving on apace, it won’t be long before we see a new addition to Bristol’s skyline.” Aurora will consist of six storeys, with each floor measuring 15,500 sq ft. There will also be 51 car parking spaces, electric car charging points and secure motorcycle and bicycle storage. Neal Stephens, managing director of Willmott Dixon Construction in Wales and the West, said: “With a local office in Bristol, we’re delighted to have the opportunity to build such an important office for the city’s economy, one that will attract new investment and set the standard for BREEAM Outstanding in a city that was 2015’s European Green Capital. “We will work hard to ensure this project benefits the Bristol economy, partnering with local companies and sustaining jobs for local people.” Cubex expects the building to be ready for fit out by the end of next year. Willmott Dixon, the construction and property services group, has posted a multimillion-pound rise in half-year profits and unveiled a new corporate structure to create three distinct companies. Under the revised structure, both the residential development and support services companies will move from under Willmott Dixon’s umbrella to become sister businesses. The group said the move will give each business “greater operational, financial and strategic independence” to pursue their individual growth plans. Willmott Dixon generated a profit before tax and amortisation of £12m for the six months to 30 June 2016, an increase of 48 per cent from £8.1m a year earlier, on turnover of £598m. The group’s secured and probably forward order book stood at £1.15bn at the end of the period.

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Willmott Dixon Partnerships Re-Branded as Fortem

Willmott Dixon Partnerships, the property repairs and maintenance specialist, is set to change its name to Fortem. Fortem is a Latin word for strength and prudency. The rebranding from Willmott Dixon Partnerships comes as part of a fresh approach. The company is looking to provide the senior management team with more operational freedom to grow the firm outside its core social housing market. Earlier in the year, Willmott Dixon outlined plans to sell the business. However this sale was abandoned when a suitable buyer could not be found. The business, which has a turnover of £145 million, provides maintenance and repairs services to housing associations and local authorities throughout the country. Its team of 1,400 directly employed engineers undertakes more than 400,000 repairs every year. It also provides planned cyclical work to support estate renewal programmes and property asset investment. Mick Williamson, Managing Director at the newly named Fortem, said: “We have strong ambitions for growth and this means that now is the right time to create a new stand-out brand to become recognised as a leader in property maintenance across all sectors, not just housing. “Fortem reflects these aspirations by heralding a new era for our business as we continue to invest in ensuring we are ‘best in class’ for our existing customers, while giving us flexibility to plan ahead for expansion with new customers.” At present, the company is responsible for maintenance, repairs and cyclical work on more than 110,000 homes. It works as a key partner for local authorities such as Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and Birmingham City Council, along with housing associations such as Paragon, Orbit, Metropolitan and Midland Heart. Coinciding with the new name, the sister company of Willmott Dixon Partnerships, Willmott Dixon Energy Services, will be drawn into the Fortem brand to expand the business’ services and skill sets.

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Property Developer Willmott Residential Appoints New Advisor

Willmott Dixon has appointed Richard Blakeway as a new strategic advisor for the division in an attempt to strengthen its residential property developer arm. Mr Blakeway has a significant amount of experience in the industry and is a former Greater London Authority (GLA) deputy mayor for housing. Since leaving GLA earlier in the year, Blakeway spent many months advising the Government on housing policy. In this new role, Mr Blakeway will offer strategic advice to Willmott Residential to increase development volume throughout London in conjunction with local authorities and other land owners; particularly in growing ‘Be:here’, the company’s build for rent business. ‘Tremendous breadth of knowledge’ Willmott Residential Chief Executive, Nic Simpkin, commented: “Richard brings a tremendous breadth of knowledge of housing with a proven track-record for unlocking opportunities to deliver significant numbers of homes while at the GLA. I’m delighted Ric’s experience is going to play a key role in the next phase of our growth as we target new land opportunities, including creating a real step change in build for rent homes, with our next development in Hayes for 118 homes being delivered next month and developments at Barking and Kew ready to start having obtained planning consents.” Mr Blakeway said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to play an important part in Willmott Residential’s growth. I’ve been impressed with how its build-for-rent company Be:here has raised the bar for this emerging asset class and given the huge availability of institutional investment in money for build-for-rent, coupled with the significant need, we can really increase the availability of quality homes for people to rent.” Meanwhile, Willmott Dixon has secured a £20 million contract to build a new science and technology facility in Wales. The location of this development is in M-SParc’s science park in Gaerwen, Anglesey. Work on the 20-acre site is to begin later this year and with a completion time of early 2018.

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Scape Introduces New £7bn Procurement Framework

Leading procurement organisation, Scape Group is upping the value of its national construction framework from £5.5bn to a whopping £7bn, a boost which will see the body’s framework become the country’s most valuable procurement framework. The rise has been planned for a while; notice was published by Scape in the Official Journal of the European Community (OJEU) Scape. The organisation said that it has increased the value of its main procurement framework following feedback from clients, gathered during the many market consultation sessions it has held and continues to hold. Scape went on to say that the £1.5bn boost is indicative of growing demand amongst clients for effective, efficient project delivery, programme certainty and financial security. The framework is divided into five, according to geographical region and nature of works. It appears below: A greater number of lead contractors are expected to be awarded the new framework – unlike Scape’s previous procurement framework which was overwhelming dominated by big name contractor, Willmott Dixon. Bidding contractors will have the opportunity to bag up to two of the three regional lots or one of either Major Works UK or Principal Works (UK) thus providing them access to a greater variety of suppliers and service providers within the framework. As always, just one managing contractor take the helm, supported by a broad and all-encompassing local supply chain. Mark Robinson, Chief Executive of Scape Group, is hopeful about the potential of the new £7bn framework and firmly believes that it will match the changing expectations of contractors and clients alike. From public consultations, Mark also suggested that the increased value would enable public sector bodies, in particular, to continue regeneration works and meet demand for housing in a high quality, cost-effective and on time way. Mark Robinson added that the public’s recent decision to leave the EU would not affect the introduction of the new procurement framework and that “it is very much business as usual” for Scape. Successful bidders for the new framework are expected to be announced early next year. By May 2017, it is predicted to have fully fazed out the National Major Works framework that Scape currently offers.

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Continued Success for Willmott Dixon with New £25m Leisure Contract

In recent construction news, Willmott Dixon has successfully won a contract with the London Borough of Havering to develop a new skating rink and swimming baths in the centre of Romford town. Having very recently completed greater than £100m worth of municipal leisure facilities over the past 6 months, the news comes to build upon Willmott’s recent success here, with the Romford contract sitting at a value of a further £25m. For the project, Willmott Dixon is working alongside Saunders Boston, Architect, with the view of completing the project in the early stages of 2018. The facility itself is designed to have an eight lane competition swimming pool, in addition to a 56m x 26m ice rink for the London Raiders and an additional fitness suite. In addition, other notable facilities confirmed for at the venue will also be a beginner swimming pool, steam rooms and a sauna, a fitness and health studio, a gym, a café and even a dance studio; this proving to be quit the comprehensive offering of all-round sports and fitness for the locality. Highlighting the company’s perspective on the project, Chris Tredget, Regional Managing Director of Willmott Dixon gave an enthused view as to the contract win, explaining how it will allow for the company to deliver a “real legacy” for the community. “We have seen how much effect leisure schemes have on local prosperity and also generating income for councils as people flock to use the facilities,” he explained. As such, it is predicted that the facilities will bring a great deal of potential for the Romford and the surrounding areas. Also nodding to the project, Roger Ramsey, Havering Council Leader commented on the ambitious nature of the project and the delight of the council to be working alongside Willmott Dixon to provide such an important project with great potential for the area.

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