VINCI were appointed to deliver a new Public Services Hub in Ellesmere Port for Cheshire West and Chester Council.
The first phase of the project was the creation of a new bus zone featuring 7 new stands along Civic Way, once the bus zone is operational, the existing bus station will be demolished to make way for a 50,000 sq ft public service centre.
The new facility will be home to more than 500 council and public sector staff, a Job Centre Plus and a Citizen’s Advice Bureau. This project is a catalyst for the wider Ellesmere Port Town Centre regeneration master plan.
This £15m, design and build project, procured through the North West Construction Hub’s High Value Framework consists of a steel frame, brickwork and structural light rendered wall elements with large glazed sections and punched windows, the envelope is also wrapped at top and bottom with a copper coloured metal cladding. The building has a well-insulated flat roof with a small amount of roof plant including air source heat pumps, also on the roof is photovoltaic panels to meet the town centre development sustainability requirements.
Internally the Hub building consists of large open plan working areas with smaller subsection meeting rooms, break out & kitchen spaces are present on each level and a main central staircase for circulation, the Hub also has two lifts between each floor.
Externally there will be a newly formed public realm area with bench seating and green landscaped sections. The car park to the facility will have a dedicated cycle parking facility, electrical charging points for vehicles and also a safe walking path from vehicles to the Hub entrance.
Social Value Outcomes to date (August 2021)
• Social Value Return on Investment: £500k (measured via Social Value Portal)
• Exceeding Cheshire West and Chester Council targets by 278%
• 7 Education Activities
• 89 Apprentice Weeks
• 7 Community Activities
• 20 new Employment Opportunities Created
• 9 Training Weeks
• £5.3m Local Spend
“The procurement process promotes continuous engagement with the project delivery team. Communication and planning led by VINCI was meticulous. The scheme-maintained momentum with remote working, patience and understanding from all parties. Solutions were developed and implemented for safety of site operation, with implementing and adhering to 2m social distancing in the forefront of the action plan. This would not have been possible if the trust and communication had not already been established throughout the tender process. The whole approach to a difficult situation has been inspirational and reinforces that a partnering approach is the only way to operate and delivery successful construction projects.” Clare Huber, Senior Manager for Construction, Regeneration Major Projects, Cheshire West and Chester Council
