News on 16 November 2000
Construction and services company Ballast has been announced as preferred
bidder by the University of East Anglia and South Norfolk District Council,
to construct a £6m new school of Nursing and Midwifery in Norwich.
A special purpose company will be formed to undertake the project and
the concession will run for 30 years from contract award. Ballast Special
Projects Division will undertake design and construction while Ballast
subsidiary Wiltshier FM will provide facilities management services covering
building and engineering maintenance, security, cafeteria, and domestic
services including cleaning, grounds maintenance and help desk.
The project involves the construction of a new three to four storey 4,000
sq m building. The building will be naturally ventilated where possible
and designed to meet the environmental criteria specified by the university.
About 2,500 students will attend the school each year with some 550 of
those being full-time student nurses. Facilities within the school will
comprise of teaching and seminar rooms, a lecture theatre, communal spaces
and cafeteria and offices for the teaching and administration staff.
Bob Heathfield, chairman of Ballast said: "We are delighted to be
appointed preferred bidder for this exciting and very important scheme.
The new School of Nursing is complimentary to our existing and growing
portfolio of projects secured through the Private Finance Initiative."
Malcolm Stamp, chairman and chief executive of the Norfolk & Norwich
Health Care NHS Trust added: "This represents a major step in advancing
nursing and midwifery education facilities to become an integral part
of the university, hospital and Research Park framework. Modern training
and educational facilities for our nurses and midwives are highly desirable."
The application is due to be heard in January 2001. If everything goes
as planned, work on site will commence in March 2001, with the new school
being operational by autumn 2001.
