DIO Salisbury Plain Training Area Service Family Accommodation

  • Client

    Defence Infrastructure Organisation

  • Contractor

  • Value

    £260m

  • Completion Date

    May 2020

Completed as part of the Army Basing Programme 2020, the project involved the construction and delivery of 917 Service Family Homes at Bulford (225) and Ludgershall (242) by February 2020 and at Larkhill (450) by May 2020 plus various off site highways projects. This collaborative form of contract had seen very little exposure within the housing market prior to this project but the parties engaged enthusiastically and with success.

The Challenge

The design utilised 6 core house types to provide Officer, Other Ranks and adapted living properties.  The project spans 3 distinct sites, Bulford, Ludgershall and Larkhill and extensive Section 106 off site Highway works. The high-speed delivery of this project required the output rate in excess of industry norms, with an average handover rate of 16 houses per week, rising to 20 per week at peak output – a delivery rate unprecedented in UK low rise housing,

The Solution

Completed as part of the Army Basing Programme 2020, the delivery rate of this complex, high-volume, fast-track project is unprecedented in UK low rise housing. The was delivered by two timber frame providers working side by side collaboratively (not seen before in UK housing developments) which allowed a speed build of 22 weeks from foundations to superstructure, with an extensive acceptance process.

Collaborative procurement of this nature has seen very little exposure in the residential sector prior to this project. All parties engaged enthusiastically and with success, supported by a shared project office environment. The scheme benefitted from an open and fully collaborative working relationship fostered by DIO, WYG and Lovell.

The Results

Delivered on budget and on schedule, despite pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic, each site presented its own challenges. Extensive archaeology included a forgotten WW1 Practice Battlefield at Larkhill, found to be the largest ever archaeological exploration of such features anywhere in the world. Important historic finds were identified including a Stone Age Double Henge Form, now a registered English Heritage Scheduled Monument.

Despite the challenges, the joint project team succeeded in delivering an exemplary scheme that showcases innovative approaches in the build programme, pace of delivery and high-quality construction.

32

Apprentices

87.28%

SME Spend

£158,842,612

Added Value

8/10

Client Satisfaction

Client Testimonials

“The project team and site teams have contained a core of experienced Lovell staff and a combination of strong leadership and high quality of site teams has been a key factor in contributing to the success of the ABP SPTA SFA projects.  Any weaknesses in behaviours or performance have not been tolerated by Lovell – and swiftly addressed.  Reponses have included coaching, clear guidance, revised practices (including innovative ways of working), supply chain reinforcement and where required contract termination.

Lovell’s ‘consultation’ with the User representatives (and subsequently individual users) has been exemplary and thoroughly effective throughout.

The Lovell ABP SPTA SFA team have been exemplar in stakeholder management, community engagement and communications.  Their reputation with Wiltshire and local councils is very high and they have been frequently commended.

The ABP SPTA SFA projects were designed and executed as collaborative.  ISO 44001 Certification was achieved by the DIO’s TSP using the exemplar of the SFA projects.  Effective collaboration has been a hallmark – and paid dividends when addressing tricky issues.  Personalities play a key part in achieving true collaboration (as does the contract).  Linked with the above an integrated approach between Contractor and CR paid dividends throughout.

Lovell place the highest priority on Health and Safety.  Education and process has been of a high standard – as has site discipline.  Supply chain welfare has also been very well attended to.

This Lovell team has set a benchmark in terms of performance; other teams would have to match the standard to achieve the quality I have outlined above”.

When Abby McTighe and her husband Damon, a Tank Commander in the Queen’s Royal Hussars (QRH) discovered they’d be moving back to the UK after a seven year posting in Germany, they were apprehensive and excited in equal measure.  Abby explains more about the move and how their house on the Ludgershall development feels like ‘home’: “Germany was very much our home, our son was born there and although I lived in Germany for three years, my husband was there for seven, it has been a big part of our life as a couple.  Overall, we were really excited to be moving back, many of the other families on this part of the development are QRH so we all moved at the same time.  It was just like picking up our community in Germany and bringing it back to the UK in one go.”

Abby and Damon have moved into a three-bedroom house on a corner plot and have been absolutely bowled over by the standard of their new home, Abby continues: “In Germany we had a pretty old house but it had a cellar so we had lots of storage.  We were apprehensive that our new build in the UK wouldn’t have anything like the storage we are used to but we were pleasantly surprised.  The house is gorgeous.  We’ve got a beautiful ensuite, loads of storage, a large garden and the living areas are really ample.  To come home and have the opportunity to live in luxury is fantastic – we keep pinching ourselves – we treat the house as if it were a brand new car.”

Typically, military families live in homes that may have housed 20 or 30 families prior and as Abby concludes, it’s the small things that make the difference: “it’s a bit weird but we absolutely love our carpet – in Germany the carpet was flat and old and in our new home you can take your socks off and squish your toes into a deep pile, it doesn’t feel like a military house – it feels like our home.”

Life in Germany was pretty spectacular for Camille Campbell-Wild and her husband Matthew, a HQ Squadron Leader in the Queen’s Royal Hussars (QRH).  With three children under six, including five-year old twins, life in Germany was hectic but with a large group of friends and a solid community, the Campbell-Wild family made the most of life overseas.

Moving back to the UK after six and a half years came with a range of mixed emotions, as Camille explains: “Germany was a great place to raise the children.  We loved the clean living and the healthy lifestyle and although the disciplined nature of German people took a while to get used to, we made the most of every opportunity and built a great life.  When we heard we were coming back to the UK we were nervous initially, setting up a new life and starting over again is quite tough – but that’s military life, so we’ve learnt to adapt.”

Back in the UK, the Campbell-Wild family moved into a four-bedroom, detached home on the Bulford development.  Situated in a quiet cul de sac overlooking fields, their spacious home couldn’t be more perfect for their needs.  “While we were still in Germany a friend popped around to our new house and took a video for us, at that moment, all of our anxieties were quashed about moving into a new build – don’t get me wrong, our house in Germany was fairly tired and old,  but we were apprehensive that a UK new build would feel flimsy and pokey,” explains Camille.  “Nothing could be further from the truth – our house is solid, it’s roomy, the location is absolutely perfect for our young children to play safely outside.  Slowly, we are building a new life here and making friends both in and out of the military.  And it’s great to be close to family again.  There’s no question, our gorgeous house plays an important part in our children feeling settled back in the UK.”

Contractor Performance | Commitments

Fair

100% payment within 30 days terms

Sustainability

100% waste diverted from landfill

2,807 Tonnes Carbon Saved

Safe

CCS Score 45/45

Legacy

164 No of SMEs

127 beneficiaries

38 jobs created & 955 trainee weeks

Schools engagement: 364 students

£122,073.50 donations to charity

747 volunteer hours & 74% social value created

Aftercare

Soft landings for handover

Dedicated Morgan Sindall point of contact

On-line portal for notifying any defects with 3 priority categories for response times

SCF Framework Manager

James Wright 

Email: james.wright@hants.gov.uk

Phone: 0370 779 0304    

Contractor Framework Manager

Alan Smedley

Email: alan.smedley@morgansindall.com

Phone: 07967 686066