SCAPE and Willmott Dixon: Building Brighter Futures

In August 2021, Willmott Dixon was appointed to the fifth generation of our national construction framework. Willmott Dixon is a long-standing SCAPE partner and has delivered more than 575 projects to public sector clients via our frameworks.

Above: Celebrating the completion of Rose Hill, a new headquarters for Merseyside Police in Liverpool.

Over the past 12 months, we have completed 25 SCAPE projects and have another 38 in progress. We are proud with how we have commenced SCAPE’s fifth generation construction framework, helping new and existing customers with their brilliant schemes. Impressively, 75% of our work is repeat business, which shows the importance of delivering outstanding customer satisfaction as we strive to be their partner for growth.

Our Trainee of the Year awards are important to SCAPE as well as us, and we have valued having SCAPE involved to pick their Trainee of the Year on an annual basis. The awards help to showcase outstanding achievement, as well as ensuring both Willmott Dixon and SCAPE’s values are embedded within the next generation of construction leaders.

A standout moment for me has been our Assistant Build Manager, Sophia Barnes’ work with Women's Aid to help empower domestic abuse survivors. Management Trainee, Emily Palmer is also doing a great job by championing the importance of good mental health, through changing the tools and support we offer to the whole business, ensuring our teams have the best support necessary and channels to use.

Working alongside SCAPE and the Gangmasters and the Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), we have made some significant changes with regard to our ethical labour practices.

Within the past 12 months, we have handed over a host of brilliant projects that have been procured via the SCAPE framework. These have included 47 homes at Queens Drive Phase 1A, new transport facilities in the heart of Stevenage, a new control centre for Humberside Police and a CAT B fit out of Edmonton Library.

All these projects were delivered using the SCAPE fourth generation construction framework, where we could be directly awarded projects up to £20m. SCAPE’s fifth generation construction framework has different rules, giving us licence to contract larger projects of up to £75m, helping our customers to progress with larger scale estate planning, and sharing pipelines of work, which is a key ethos of the Construction Playbook.

Above: Queens Drive Phase 1A

Above: Stevenage Interchange

Above: Edmonton Library

As lockdown rules were removed, we have been delighted to host SCAPE at many of our sites, allowing them to see our work in action.

Above: a tour of Wolverhampton Civic Hall

Above: A look around Luton and Dunstable University Hospital

Above: A trip to Doncaster's famous Grade II listed Wool Market, the place we describe as a city of dreams

We have had another great year with SCAPE and looking forward, there is further opportunity.

Our Development Solutions team is also playing a key role with SCAPE customers, helping them to access funding and provide specialist advice.

The examples above show a snapshot of how SCAPE and Willmott Dixon have worked in collaboration to deliver brilliant buildings and transform our communities, we look forward to progressing our relationship and continue generating prosperity in the regions we serve.