Willmott Dixon - Leisure Development - Swindon, £7.8m to Build Latest David Lloyd Club

Date: 15 Nov 2006

Willmott Dixon has negotiated a £7.8 million contract to build its sixteenth racquets, health and fitness club in ten years for the UK and Ireland's leading operator David Lloyd Leisure.

It will take the company just 40 weeks to build the club on land adjacent to the A419 in Groundwell Farm, Swindon, thanks to a fast-track programme developed during the long-term relationship. When completed, the club's facilities will include a fitness hall and exercise studios, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, indoor and outside swimming pools, hydro-spa, leisure pool and crèche facilities. There will also be a clubroom offering a range of beverage and food catering facilities.

The new scheme brings the value of work for David Lloyd Leisure to nearly £90 million since 1996. During that time, the company has reduced the average build time by 25 per cent to between 35-40 weeks, depending on ground conditions.

David Penniston, UK development director, Whitbread plc, said, "This long-term relationship is based on mutual trust, expertise and a wealth of joint experience. Through it we deliver premium quality facilities our future members and team members deserve."

John Frankiewicz, chief operating officer for Willmott Dixon Construction said, "This increase in productivity results from a standardised business model involving a core project team and supply chain that includes architect and cost manager that take learning from one project to the next.

"To keep moving our relationship forward, we've focusing on growing our in-put at pre-construction stage. This includes working with David Lloyd Leisure's team during the identification of new sites and the subsequent planning stage."

Project suppliers include, Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson, architect, Fitzsimons, QS, GCM, structural engineer, Thornley & Lumb, services engineer and Robinson White Partnership as planning supervisors.

Where do I go now?: » View the latest news items » View the news archive » Subscribe to Weekly Construction Newsletter » Submit news