By Will Soutter
The Health Campus Partnership comprising the Watford Borough Council, West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust and Watford Football Club have chosen Kier Property as their preferred bidder for the Watford Health Campus project.
Watford
The project estimated at £240m is a 375,000 sq. ft. mixed-use development. It will consist of new hospital facilities, a multi-storey car park and nearly 650 residences.
Derelict land in west Watford has been chosen for the Health Campus which will create 1,600 local jobs. The campus will help reduce traffic congestion, improve open space for the public and enable better access for all people.
Kier Property’s bid was selected due to numerous factors including, its masterplan that met the scheme’s requirements. It portrayed health, new homes, open space and employment. Flexibility to upgrade the hospital’s facilities as and when required was another feature. The project is an equally sharing joint venture with the public sector on a long-term basis. Further, Kier Property’s record for delivery was another consideration for being selected.
Nigel Turner, the Managing Director of Kier Property, expressed his pleasure at being chosen for the scheme. The company’s objective was to deliver the project in the desired manner within a specific period. The company collaborated with the project partners to understand their aspirations for the scheme.
Dorothy Thornhill MBE, the Elected Mayor of Watford, commented that the project will provide significant benefits to the community and also boost the local economy.
Jan Filochowski, the Chief executive of West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, stated that the Watford Health Campus project has reached a critical milestone. It will address the requirement for a contemporary general hospital for west Hertfordshire and Watford.
Source: http://www.kier.co.uk/