Laing O’Rourke to deliver British army training facilities under £5.1bn defence estate optimisation

The project at Alexander Barracks in Pirbright, Surrey, involves building the infrastructure for a new ‘centre of excellence’ for non-infantry basic training.

The creation of the new facility enables the closure of Sir John Moore Barracks in Winchester and Prince William of Gloucester Barracks in Grantham.

The new facilities at Alexander Barracks will comprise: permanent staff and recruit accommodation; combined officer and senior non-commissioned officer mess facilities; a combined training centre and two headquarters offices; an improvement to the medical and dental facility with additional rehabilitation treatment facilities; a reception centre, guardhouse and tailors, and additional facilities for the Army Leadership Studies Centre. In addition to the new facilities within the Barracks, a new nursery situated outside the Barracks will be built to benefit service families and the local community.

Last year, Laing O’Rourke was one of seven companies to sign the Ministry of Defence’s Strategic Alliance contract that will see it deliver infrastructure work across the DEO portfolio.

The DEO Army Programme makes up the largest share of the £5.1Bn DEO Portfolio which is focussed on delivering a better structured, modern and more sustainable estate.

Martin Staehr, director of UK Building at Laing O’Rourke, said, “We are delighted to have secured this work from the MOD and are proud to deliver a modern Army barracks that will improve the facilities available to those who keep our country secure.

“The Strategic Alliance approach represents best practice in terms of public sector procurement. It is highly efficient and enables vital collaboration on elements that are critical for successful delivery, such as standardisation of design. This means we can fully deploy our manufacturing led operating model and use modern methods of construction to improve programme, quality, sustainability outcomes and worker safety.”

Work is scheduled to start this month with phased delivery during coming years.

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L-R Back row: Warren Webster, DIO MPP army programme director; Amaan Malik, DEO cost manager; Kaily Player, DEO NEC4 delivery project manager; Major Clare Coward, project sponsor, army; Neil Porter, DEO planner; Lorna Ewing, DEO regional programme manager; Hazel Ide, DEO regional senior programme manager; Anthony Evans, DEO project manager; Lucinda Levy, DIO contract lead; Nick Rees, DIO MPP Army DEO programme deputy head; Victoria Holbrook, DEO procurement; Chris Ward, strategic alliance manager; Belinda Lunn, DEO Army programme. Director

L-R Front row: Rachael Cunningham, preconstruction lead, Laing O’Rourke; Martin Staehr, building director, Laing O’Rourke; Jeremy Hollard, deputy director DIO commercial; major general Richard Clements, director B&I, Army.