Catalyst Lend Lease Selected as Preferred Partner for Birmingham
The Birmingham BSF project is part of a UK Government initiative to provide a new generation of sustainable secondary schools throughout England, and will be delivered via a 15-year public private partnership agreement. The project involves the redevelopment of 89 secondary and special needs schools across Birmingham, providing for the educational needs of over 77,000 students.
The project will be delivered via Lend Lease’s integrated model led by Catalyst Lend Lease, with Bovis Lend Lease being responsible for the construction of all schools under the program and facilities manager Vita Lend Lease running the schools for 25 years.
Mr Steve McCann, Chief Executive Officer of Lend Lease said: “We are immensely proud to be chosen as the council’s partner for such a vital and exciting project. This is Britain’s biggest BSF project to date and we want the new schools to play their part in raising the aspirations and educational attainment of Birmingham’s young people for many years to come.”
Financial close is expected in May 2009. Phase 1 of the project, which is due to start immediately following financial close, includes the construction of ten schools and three academies, with the first three schools scheduled to open in 2011.
This project builds on Catalyst Lend Lease’s strong PPP pipeline in the UK. The £250 million ($A570 million) Lancashire BSF project is now entering its second phase and the company is on a short list of two for the £350 million (A$795 million) BSF scheme in Salford.
Lend Lease’s UK PPP business currently focuses on the education, health, waste and accommodation sectors with a portfolio of 19 projects.
