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Willmott Dixon starts on site at Lincolnshire's new public sector hub

Thu, 27th May, 2021 Updated: Fri, 28th May, 2021

Willmott Dixon has started on-site at a new College and Public Sector Hub facility in Horncastle, Lincolnshire.

The £7m mixed-use Public Sector Hub is one of the town’s most significant developments to date and will provide further education space for Boston College, as well as new headquarters for East Lindsey District Council.

Procured through SCAPE Construction and due to complete in summer 2022, the new state-of-the-art shared space, will be occupied by the council as it moves from its current headquarters in Manby. The new, more sustainable building not only reduces maintenance costs and carbon footprint, but allows services to be streamlined, whilst the relocation to Horncastle will bring economic benefits to the local area and place the governing body at the centre of the district.

We’re very pleased that work is now underway on this project and we can help East Lindsey District Council to create a new further education facility and headquarters that not only aligns with its environmental targets but also represents long-term savings on its current outdated facility.

Nick Heath, director of delivery at Willmott Dixon

Sustainability features at the heart of the development

To support Willmott Dixon’s 2030 ‘Now or Never’ sustainability strategy and reduce carbon emissions, they will be implementing Energy SynergyTM on the project – their approach to addressing the performance gap. They will work alongside East Lindsey District Council once the building is occupied to truly understand how the building is performing and if it differs from the assumptions made during the design process.

Nick continued: “Not only will the scheme allow us to support the Council in its battle against climate change, but it will also develop the partnership between the Council and Boston College by delivering long-awaited further education facilities to the local area, enabling learning for future generations across the region.

At Willmott Dixon, we pride ourselves on leaving a legacy in the communities we work in, so this project is a great way to further our efforts by improving public sector services throughout East Lindsey while rolling out our extensive community engagement initiatives.”

Throughout the project, the contractor will ensure 14% of the contract value is invested back into the region. This will be delivered through community initiatives, such as projects with local university students, careers events with Boston College, as well as using local social enterprises, local businesses and local labour.

We’re pleased to be working with Willmott Dixon on bringing the Public Sector Hub to fruition.

Neil Cucksey, Strategic Capital Project Development Officer, at East Lindsey District Council

Neil continued, "As well, as providing modern office space for ourselves and our partners, we’ll be bringing a landmark further education facility to the district. The commitment Willmott Dixon has made to supporting the local community and economy throughout the build is fantastic and something we’ll look to build on as we take up occupancy next year.”

Architect firm Bond Bryan worked alongside the Council and Willmott Dixon to design the cost-effective, sustainable build.

We are delighted that the Public Sector Hub project is starting on site and look forward to continuing our collaborative relationship with Willmott Dixon, East Lindsey District Council, Boston College and the design team. The project will be a fantastic addition to the area and will give the Council and the College a very flexible and dynamic environment to work and learn in.

James Woodhouse, associate director, at Bond Bryan

The new college and Public Sector Hub will not only bring economic benefits to the area but will also support East Lindsey Council‘s sustainability agenda.

Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE

Mark continued, "At SCAPE we’re proud to play a part in accelerating the delivery of sustainable buildings that will help to ease the climate emergency. We’re pleased that the students from Boston College and our public sector colleagues will be housed in a state-of-the-art eco-friendly building as we work together as a nation towards our 2030 net-zero target."

The project marks the latest in a long-standing service to Lincolnshire. Since 2017, Willmott Dixon have delivered an £11m social return on investment, spent over £56m with SMEs and committed more than 7300 hours to support young people into employment.

Learn more about Willmott Dixon

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