M-Sport’s new world class evaluation centre is nearing completion on our Dovenby Hall Estate in Cumbria.
The multi-million-pound development is the latest Design & Build Project we have delivered, having worked with M-Sport on the site since it was acquired in 1998.
The first phase of the project comprised the design and construction of a 2.5km test track. The civils works to facilitate this involved moving 200,000 Tonnes of earth, whilst ensuring a cut and fill balance to ensure that no materials needed to be removed from site. Ground stabilisation techniques were employed to mitigate import of excessive quarried materials. 6.5km of drainage to the track links to several balancing ponds to ensure no negative impact on the local watercourse. An approved scheme of woodland management was deployed at the outset, protecting certain areas of historic interest, with planting of trees and grassland to enhance the habitat across the site.
The second and most recent phase, being the associated state of the art 111,000ft2 production facility, which commenced in May 2019. The building is formed with some 550T of structural steel, enclosed with 2,000m2 of external wall cladding and 11,000m2 of roof cladding, sat on 18,000m2 of specialist jointless concrete slab, with 1600 pre-cast concrete panels forming the internal walls. The impressive showroom in the north east corner is enclosed with 300m2 of frameless glazing.
The building comprising numerous departments is serviced with compressed air, gases, and power. Facilitated by some 40km of electric cables, 3km of compressed air and gas pipework, 1km of ventilation ductwork and over 5km of high-speed network cabling.
Eddie Ward, our Commercial Manager said, “We have worked in deep collaboration with the client on MEC Project for eleven years, to ensure that we delivered a solution to meet their business needs. At the early stages this involved the building element of the project evolving in numerous forms and growing significantly”.
The facility is considered integral to the future of the Cockermouth-based business. Offering a unique centre of engineering excellence, the M-Sport Evaluation Centre was designed to boost Cumbrian economy, skills and innovation in the Northern Powerhouse – the importance of which has only increased given the current climate.
The project has been recognised in the, yet to be announced, North West Regional Construction Awards 2020, as a finalist as sub-regional project of the year for Cumbria. All finalists in the Sub-Regional Project of the Year Awards will be automatically put forward to the Project of the Year category. The North West Regional Construction Awards are the most significant celebration of best practice and best value in the North West and the only event of its kind that connects every single discipline of construction working towards a sustainable built environment.
Our projects are primarily our own developments across industrial, commercial, residential and purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA); the only exception being the long-term relationship with M-Sport for whom we have carried out all developments on their Dovenby Hall Estate site, since it was procured. Currently we are finalising proposals for an exclusive housing development on land overlooking Carlisle Racecourse.
This latest project was made possible with investment from the UK Government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF) as well as Growth Fund investment provided by Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (CLEP) and will allow M-Sport to develop a one-of-a-kind facility in the UK.
M-Sport Managing Director, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said:
“I’m extremely proud of what we are creating here at Dovenby Hall, and it’s important that we move forward with an operational facility to attract new business and protect existing jobs as well as new skills in the area. These are particularly challenging times for so many businesses, but once the Evaluation Centre is up and running, I’m confident that we can come out the other side and continue to provide for Cumbria.”
Commercial Manager for Northern Developments, Eddie Ward, said:
“In spite of the impact of the global pandemic, the team on site have worked tirelessly to overcome various challenges, striving to deliver this impressive project. The client’s commitment to the local economy is unwavering and we are proud to be able to facilitate such ambitious aspirations in challenging times.”
Established in 1985 Northern Developments work throughout the UK, recently completing more than £16million worth of purpose-built student accommodation developments through new build and refurbishment.
Managing Director Martyn Boak commented:
“We continually look for development opportunities, the depth of our experience allows us to look at all sectors and our proven track record of delivering consistently for over 3 decades counts for an awful lot today, the current political backdrop is certainly adversely affecting the real estate sector and Business’s as a whole which none of the Politicians even begin to understand, however we’re agile, opportunistic and open for Business”.
