The Challenge:
This is a challenging development involving the regeneration of heavily contaminated brown field land, significant ecological factors and major site abnormalities that need to be addressed by engineering and financial solutions. It involves significant stakeholder engagement with West Hertfordshire Hospital Trust and Watford Football Club.
Successful delivery of this complex project also involves the continual integration of technical, legal and financial factors across numerous interconnected development zones.
The Solution:
The project is being delivered through a 50/50 joint venture with Watford Borough Council. This allows both parties to develop the phases together, with the Council providing the land and Kier matching the value with equity. There is potential for the Council to also add equity.
The joint venture allows the Council to recycle land, participate in the development, receive a revenue return and provide a future revenue stream. The project consists of:
- 750 residential units made up of 1, 2 and 3 bed flats, family housing and affordable housing
- 86,000 sq ft of industrial space
- 73,000 sq ft of retail space
- 8,000 sq ft of leisure
- 150,000 sq ft of office; and an
- 80 bed Hotel
- 1,450 space multi-storey car park
The Impact:
The partnership will run for 15-20 years and is an excellent example of Kier Property’s ability to deliver complex mixed-use developments by working collaboratively with private and public sector partners.
This major mixed use scheme is being delivered through a Local Asset Backed Vehicle (LABV) - a mid/long term joint venture equity partnership between a public body and a private company as the investment partner.
" The Health Campus is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It will deliver significant benefits to the town and gives a huge boost to our local economy at a time when other areas of the country are seeing reductions to public investment and services. "Dame Dorothy Thornhill MBE Elected Mayor Watford Borough Council
View more projects
Every project we deliver is an opportunity for us to bring our unique thinking to solve problems, innovate and collaborate with our clients and beyond.
Butlin’s Splash, Bognor Regis
Building a £40m state of the art swimming pool and leisure complex within the existing Butlin’s resort in Bognor Regis, West Sussex.
The Fulmar
The Fulmar is part of the Greenwich Peninsula Regeneration Scheme, consisting of three residential blocks, comprising 139 flats, surrounding a central landscaped podium courtyard. The blocks range in height from four to 10 storeys, housing 60 apartments for outright sale, 19 for intermediate (shared ownership) and 60 for rent properties.
Project Maia - Infineum
Delivery of a 33,500ft2 Global Centre of Innovation at Infineum’s headquarters in Abingdon; featuring new petrochemical laboratories for research and development into new formulas for fuel additives; collaborative meeting spaces, office accommodation, a new staff restaurant and improved site infrastructure.
Bolanachi Building cladding and fire stopping works
A cladding project delivered using an innovative Gridline System and underpinned by strong resident engagement.
Trago Mills
Developing the first site outside Devon and Cornwall for Trago Mills, an independent, family owned and run discount leisure retailer. Bringing much needed employment to the area it includes 11 retail units, external sales area, café, garden centre, goods yard, ice cream stall, bandstand, adventure dome and model railway.
Greenwood Centre
Redevelopment of 25 & 37 Greenwood Place to provide a new 3,600m2 resource and community services centre run by people with disabilities, for people with disabilities. As part of Camden Council’s Community Investment Programme (CIP) it forms a hub for all services that was previously spread across the borough.
South Bank Place multi-utility design project
A short-term central London consultancy project turned into a ground-breaking multi-utility project, moving eight utilities to prepare for a new 800-apartment development, setting the standard in how these projects should be delivered in the capital.
St Albans Place
Constructing an 18-storey, concrete-framed student accommodation block in the centre of Leeds, close to the A64, consisting of 376 studios with communal dining areas, cinema room, gym, coffee lounge and a management suite.
Morley House
The redevelopment of a Grade II listed block on London's Regent Street providing 1,021m² of high-quality retail space on ground and basement level, and 44 new homes for market rent. Achieving the equal highest Considerate Constructors Scheme score ever recorded in London.
Global Student Accommodation (GSA), Exeter
We completed Clifford House, a student housing association project, for Global Student Accommodation (GSA), two weeks early. It’s our second project for GSA and provides state-of-the-art student accommodation for 312 students studying at Exeter University.
Crossrail
Constructing two railway tunnels that run for 6.4km between the Royal Oak portal and the new Farringdon Crossrail station in Central London. Huge scale building of station tunnel caverns at Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road and Farringdon for the new Elizabeth line.
Park Hill
Refurbishing phase three of the derelict, Grade II-listed Park Hill Flats estate to form 356 bedrooms of student accommodation while respecting the identity and integrity of the iconic building.
Tapestry, King’s Cross
Tapestry provides an outstanding collection of one, two and three bedroom apartments, townhouses and penthouses. Set over 10-15 storeys, the 33,000 sq m development integrates extensive public realm and leisure facilities for the residents of the 129 apartments.
Gloucester Transport Hub
A unique and distinctive regeneration project promoting Gloucester’s unparalleled heritage from archaeology to aviation. The Hub is a highly symbolic part of the rejuvenation of the main entry point into the city, a gateway used in Roman times which is now served by both road and rail.
3 Sovereign Square
Developing a new, six-storey office building in central Leeds, ensuring the design blended in with the surrounding historic buildings, using lean planning to ensure the smooth running of the project, applying innovative thinking to the build, and achieving an Excellent BREEAM sustainability rating.
St Sidwells Point Leisure Centre
Creating the UK’s first Passivhaus standard ultra-low carbon leisure centre, designed to save up to 70% on annual energy costs.
Aerospace Bristol
Creating a new £19m aviation museum showcasing the role played by the Bristol site in Britain’s aviation history, including a hangar to house the last Concorde ever to fly, restoring a Grade 1 listed First World War hangar to create an exhibition space
Dragon Lane Retail Park, Durham
Kier developed the retail park in Durham and sold it to LondonMetric in 2018.
5 Pancras Square
One of the most sustainable mixed-use building in the country and winner of the Prime Minister’s Better Public Building award.
Pall Mall, Liverpool
Kier was selected by Liverpool City Council to deliver a new mixed commercial quarter known as Pall Mall, in partnership with CTP.
Reigate Grange Care Home
Creating a three-story luxury care home with a range of amenities and landscaped gardens.
Everards Meadows Phase 1A
Creating a vibrant destination in Leicestershire, incorporating a new cycle centre and cafe as well as site-wide green infrastructure.
North Middlesex University Hospital
Our North Middlesex University Hospital (NMUH) project was a £53.6 million re-development comprising of 5 separate projects including units for Strokes, HIV, Women’s & Children’s Services, retained estates, infrastructure and external works. We treated each unit as an individual project with its own project team.
Delivering high quality and value for money fire safety works
Deliver a full range of fire safety works annually, including compartmentalisation, warning systems and fire doors across a range of property types with a wide geographical spread.
Storyhouse
Developing Chester's largest and most ambitious ever creative project, working in a restricted city centre location, adapting the programme when a Roman building was discovered on site, restoring and revitalising a Grade II Listed building, creating new cultural spaces and receiving the Arts Council's highest ever score for a building.
Chesterfield Borough Council partnership
Utilising assets and facilities management to enable Chesterfield Borough Council to generate significant annual rent to fund services.
Everards Meadows Phase 1B
Working collaboratively with Everards to regenerate land previously occupied by their brewing facilities, for the benefit of the people of Leicestershire.
Cheltenham Racecourse Redevelopment
Delivering a new 6,500-capacity 5 ½ storey grandstand at one Britain’s most iconic racecourses.
Parkside Estate: planned maintenance
Delivering a major programme of internal and external planned works for Clarion Housing across 17 high-rise blocks in East London. The programme included kitchen and bathroom updates, mechanical and electrical renewals, roof, brickwork and concrete repairs, groundworks, fire safety and redecorations.
Kier and TfL prove full closures are the future
Kier’s emergency road closure on the A2 proves full closures are the way forward for 2019’s network management programme.
Heron House
Refurbishment of a six-storey vibrant public building in Manchester City Centre, creating over £12.2m of social return on investment.
A13 Road Widening Project
The A13 Road Widening Project is being delivered by Kier on behalf of Thurrock Council. The works include adding an additional lane in both directions between Orsett and Stanford-le-Hope and replacing four bridges. It will support economic growth, reduce congestion and enhance safety.
North Sea Observatory
A unique purpose-built marine observatory on the Lincolnshire coastline.
Bicester Eco Business Centre
The design and construction of a highly sustainable Passivhaus ‘Plus’ 1,400m2 office building. Laid out over three floors to accommodate up to 125 people, providing local office space for individuals and small businesses.
Aberdeen Music Hall
Restoring, renovating and extending this prestigious Grade A listed performing arts building, utilising building conservation techniques whilst internally upgrading the interiors and finishes to a high quality and installing new, modern building services and a/v equipment throughout.
Reading Gateway
Identifying this 20.5 acre site in Reading as a strategic development opportunity, delivering a retail and leisure scheme including new homes, a hotel, retail space, car showrooms and industrial units, trailing new innovations and generating 263 jobs and £138m of social value.
Fire safety delivery and resident liaison
Delivered fire stopping and compartmentalisation to 18 fully occupied tower blocks carrying out works on a strict weekly timetable to minimise disruption to residents.
Diana Princess of Wales Hospital Staff Accommodation
Construction of new staff accommodation at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital for staff and student nurses
Residential Home Sprinkler Install
A retrofit installation of a fire sprinkler system into 63 one and two bedroom flats and communal spaces in a residential home at Ragallo Place in Kent.
FA Parklife
As part of the Football Association’s master-plan to build new football facilities in 30 cities by 2020, Kier have successfully delivered four all-purpose football hubs using state of the art 3G artificial grass at key grass-root areas across Liverpool.
Planned Works Framework
We deliver works to a broad variety of property archetypes, including leasehold properties, purpose-built and conversion flats, terraced, detached and semi-detached houses, estates-based properties, high and low rise blocks, sheltered housing and listed buildings.
Alfred H Knight's Office and Analytical Laboratory
Alfred H Knight is a commodity analysis and mining support specialist who required our design and cost management services to build a new state-of-the-art head office and analytical laboratory.
Elliott’s Field Retail Park Phase 2
Redeveloping a brownfield site to construct a new carbon neutral shopping park, creating the world’s first multi-let retail asset to achieve a BREEAM Outstanding rating.
The Aperture
The Aperture is the first phase of residential buildings on the Greenwich Peninsula. This five storey building comprises of a restaurant and deli on the ground floor, day nursery on the first floor, estate management and a community centre on the second/third floors with a gym on the remaining floors.
Hampton by Hilton, Bristol Airport
The construction of a hotel consisting of 201 bedrooms over four floors, utilising significant offsite manufacture.
The Ogilvie Building
The Ogilvie (formerly known as the Sanger Sequencing Building) provides 4,430m² of flexible laboratory and office space and an integrated energy centre which will feed future developments on the greenfield site.
Trade City and Logistics City
Developing more than six million sq ft of award winning speculative industrial space, with sizes ranging from small start-up to national distribution units through Kier Property's Trade City and Logistics City brands.
Stonegate
The Stonegate development will see 113 new homes providing a range of 2, 3, 4 and 5 bedroom properties.
S-Skills for Highways
Partnering Surrey County Council with an innovative scheme that brings vulnerable people in social care into the workplace, supporting these candidates to be able to carry out basic highway works in the community and helping tackle the national social care time bomb.
Waterside Student Residences
A joint venture with Kier Major Projects for the University of Northampton. The project marked the first time Kier had committed to a large-scale Light Gauge Steel (LGS) frame project and is the largest LGS project to date in the UK.
Utility Conflict Resolution for Edinburgh Trams
A high profile 3km route clearance of 1500 utility conflicts through Edinburgh city centre, delivered within budget and achieving all programme milestones, whilst minimising disruption to local businesses and residents.
Sheraton Park Student Accommodation
Updating Durham University student accommodation, refurbishing and converting one block and demolishing and rebuilding a second, catering for a mixture of mixture of undergraduates, post-graduates, returning students, and includes a mix of en-suite bedrooms, studios and accessible bedrooms.
Sheffield North Active
Transforming a tired council facility into a modern new leisure centre in the north of Sheffield, adhering to Sport England guidelines and taking on board local concerns, introducing a bold exterior design and keeping to tight deadlines.
Glasgow Fort
Constructing a new retail unit that included remodelling existing car parks, a major re-alignment of the existing spine road - including removal of roundabouts - significant public utility services diversions and installation of toucan crossings.
Walsall Waterfront Leisure
Completing the penultimate phase of the £65m waterfront development, taking it through the planning process, regenerating over 17 acres in Walsall including The Light Cinema and popular national restaurant chains, making the most of a canalised location and engaging with the local community.
Watford Riverwell
Delivering the £450m Watford Riverwell as a 15-20 year joint venture with Watford Borough Council, which involves regenerating 70 acres of land in West Watford to create residential, office, retail, leisure, industrial and hotel space.
Sainsbury Wellcome Centre
A unique, world-class, state of the art neuroscience research institute at University College London.
Slade Green Regeneration
The simultaneous extension and refurbishment of two neighbouring primary schools.
Yr Egin Media and Office Development
Bringing an iconic and sustainable development to the Carmarthen campus of the University of Wales, providing 40,000 sq. ft. of accommodation for for Welsh Media company S4C and the University's new media faculty and offices, and achieving a BREEAM Excellent certificate for sustainability.
Westminster Bridge South Scheme
Easing congestion at this iconic London tourist location by integrating and coordinating pedestrian, cycling and traffic movements; using detailed planning techniques and innovative use of materials to minimise closure locations and durations; and responding quickly to changing security requirements after a terrorist attack just before the work was to begin.
58 Victoria Embankment
Located on the River Thames Embankment, this project involved the demolition of the existing building behind a retained façade and the construction of a new steel framed Cat A office with a concrete basement. Inside the building, being the main feature is the central atrium and 3 scenic glass lifts.
Camberley Town Centre
Create a mixed-use regeneration scheme on this strategic site.
Princes Gate Retail Park
Creating a new retail and leisure heart for the town comprising 23 shops, restaurants and bars, together with a multi-screen Empire cinema, 60 bed Premier Inn hotel and a 345 space car park.
Harris Girls' Academy Bromley
The demolition, refurbishment and three-story new build of a local all-girls school located in South London.
Motel One
Transforming a derelict building into a 172 bedroom modern boutique hotel, retaining and preserving many historic features uncovered during the work.
Hawkhead Village
Transforming the former site of Hawkhead Hospital into Hawkhead Village, a residential community bringing together restored Art Deco buildings and new homes. Achieving Show Home of the Year in the Scottish Home Awards 2015 and Best Renovation/Conversion in The Herald Property Awards for Scotland 2017.
Materials Analysis Laboratory
New head office and analytical laboratory for metallurgical consultants.
Manor Kingsway
Transforming the former Manor and Kingsway Hospitals situated 1.5 miles west of Derby city centre, creating a diverse and thriving community of 700 homes with recreational facilities, retail space and a business park to create 450 jobs.
Kingston’s Portsmouth Road
Transforming a London Borough of Kingston Road into a model for healthy streets. Creating cycle tracks and cycle parking, whilst communicating with local residents and businesses.
Gibraltar Point Visitor Centre
Creating a new visitor centre at this Site of Special Scientific Interest after the previous one was damaged by a tidal surge, ensuring its protection from flooding and its coastal position, incorporating sustainable features and refurbishing an 1800s coastguard building to be used as an exhibition space.
Jaguar Land Rover Car Showroom
Constructing a high specification Jaguar Land Rover car showroom for high-end tenant Jardine Motors, ensuring high quality design and build standards.
Howick Place
Situated close to Westminster Cathedral, Howick Place is an architecturally stunning building designed by Rolfe Judd Architecture. The building takes inspiration from the surrounding conservation area, whilst creating an environment to meet all 21st century needs.
Harlow Rugby Club partnership
Unlocking new homes through partnership working in Harlow.
Gatwick Airport Car Park 6
Designing and structurally refurbishing one of Gatwick Airport's largest multi storey car parks, expanding parking and storage areas, and working with many stakeholders to ensure that all safety, quality and commercial aspects were delivered in accordance with the airport’s stringent standards.
Fixed Telecom Network
The biggest telecoms project ever on Britain's railways.
Finlake Leisure Pool
Designing and constructing a new leisure complex within this holiday village on the edge of the Dartmoor National Park in Devon, including toddler and 20m adult swimming pools, Tornado and Twister flume rides, and water playground, gymnasium, other leisure facilities and associated plant and equipment.
Cross Keys Homes
An innovative joint venture to provide much needed housing to parts of the East of England.
Crewe Lifestyle Centre
Creating a viable and affordable facility that brought all Crewe's lifestyle services - pool, gym, sports hall, library, specialist daycare and family service facilities - together under one roof, meeting a diverse range of user needs and building within a constrained town centre site.
Chalcots Estate, call to action fire risk work
Assisting with the evacuation of 650 families from the estate after receiving a call from Camden Council at 5.30pm on Friday 23 June 2017, undertaking emergency fire remedial works, working overnight to fit fire door closers and carrying out an additional programme of fire upgrade works.
Bilston Urban Village
Developing a collection of 2, 3 and 4-bedroom homes, creating a mixed tenure development that will bring 58 homes to the open market along with 20 new affordable homes and supporting a group of local trainees.
Bank Station Capacity Upgrade
Delivering a 100% BIM3 compliant utilities design at one of London’s busiest interchanges, Bank Station. Serving 73 million passengers annually, situated between London Bridge and the Bank of England.
Huntington Community Primary School
Blending traditional and innovative solutions to create a new-build, two-storey, 420-place primary school and 26-place nursery in Chester.
The Grove School
Undertaking a major refurbishment of a former Council building, originally a late Edwardian school, into a new school in Haringey, for 104 students aged 5–19 who have a primary diagnosis of autism.
Balaam Wood
Kier Living was responsible for creating the revolutionary and award-winning mixed tenure, sustainable and affordable new community in Birmingham. The project delivered a range of house types to appeal to the broadest demographic possible with the aim of giving residents an extra 10% living space.
Tiger Way
Kier Design and Business Services working in partnership with the London Borough of Hackney to deliver mixed-use developments and education schemes to create revenue for further local investment.
33 Foley Street
Delivering a central London office space where people feel inspired and want to work and collaborate, bringing together a number of Kier businesses to work jointly on the project, adding an extra floor to the building and extending two other floors to create a stunning modern space.
Working Roots
Setting up and running a project aimed at giving unemployed young people the opportunity to work on variety of projects at Kier North Tyneside, working with North Tyneside Council and Justice Prince ( a community interest company), and helping the young people learn new skills and grow in confidence.
Oldham Town Hall
Restoring an iconic building, taking part in feasibility studies to decide the best use of the building, working on the project to turn it into a seven-screen cinema with restaurants, coffee shop and retail units, winning multiple industry awards and creating something of huge importance to local people.
Wedge House
Building a striking new build boutique hotel with works comprising the design, construction and fit out of 192 hotel rooms, 4,700m2 Cat A office space and full fit out of three floors of bars and restaurants.
Alperton Community School
The build of a new school and demolition works of the old premises, increasing capacity from 750 to 1700 pupils.
One Station Square
Working with Newlon Housing Trust, the project involves the demolition of the existing structure and the design and construction of a new residential development of 128 dwellings comprising 117 shared ownership flats,11 private sale flats plus 1 commercial unit to shell and core finish.
Dyson, Hullavington
The design and redevelopment of a World War II hanger, to create a new research and development centre for Dyson.
Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls
Building a brand new 8 form of entry school situated in Thamesmead in South East London. The new school holds 1,200 pupils and includes teaching spaces, science laboratories, ICT suites, a dance studio, art and music rooms plus a large four court sports hall and hard court play area.
Shire Hall
The re-emergence of Gloucestershire County Council’s (GCC) Shire Hall after its retrofit and refurbishment reads like a fairy-tale. Over 165 weeks and 82 phases of collaborative, innovative team-working, the part-listed, part 1960’s building, an eyesore, tired and inefficient, was responsibly and dynamically transformed into an elegant and highly sustainable workplace.
Flintshire Adult Day Care Centre
Delivering new state-of-the-art community day care facilities and social care services for vulnerable adults with varying degrees of learning disabilities. The new facility in North Wales was the 1000th project procured through the Scape National Minor Works framework.
‘The Biosphere’ Helix Development
Design and construction of a new 7,200m2 laboratory facility. The building consists of a mixture of biology and chemistry spaces, office spaces, unfitted spaces and associated external infrastructure works. The facility has two floors of containment level 2 fitted labs and write-up areas, together with shared wash-up facilities.
Piries Place Car Park
New carpark, with iconic 14.5m living wall, provides much-needed, modern spacious multi-level parking facilities, completing the regeneration of Piries Place, an historic area of Horsham in West Sussex. Delivered through the Scape National Minor Works framework, the new car park, provides 189 additional spaces.
Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Khoo Teck Puat iMRI Suite
Our Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) iMRI project involved the construction of a three-storey building, adjacent to their existing theatres in the centre of their site, for a new iMRI suite and rehabilitation gym. The new MRI scanner was integrated into the new operating theatre to create a seamless brain imaging process during surgeries.
Ecclesiastical Insurance Group Headquarters
Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, one of Gloucester’s biggest employers, had offices throughout the city which were not considered future proof. They decided to consolidate all Gloucester based staff into a new purpose-build headquarters on Gloucester Business Park. The building is leased from Arlington, owners of the business park, and long-term clients of Kier.
Gosport Borough Council - responsive repairs and planned maintenance
Delivering responsive repairs and planned maintenance to 3200 homes in Gosport as well as specialist works including gas systems, electrical works and major disabled adaptations. Every year we deliver over 12,000 repairs and take approximately 17,000 calls.
Hartsdown Academy
Hartsdown Academy is a secondary school with academy status located in Margate, Kent for circa 1000 students aged 11 to 18. The project was completed over two phases where phase one comprised of the demolition of two existing school buildings and the construction of a new three storey teaching block. Phase two involved the demolition of three existing school buildings and the installation of a new pre-fabricated modular building.
Spa School, Camberwell
Spa School Camberwell is a co-educational special school for students aged 5 to 16 with autism. Construction works included the structural alteration, internal remodelling and fit out of a three storey Victorian building with a three storey new build extension. It has the capacity for 120 students and 80 staff.
Ponteland School & Leisure Centre
Ponteland School & Leisure Centre features a 420-place primary school and a 1,600-place secondary school, a state-of-the-art leisure centre with swimming pools, aqua play, spa, gym, climbing walls, dance studios, soft play zone, a 3G sports pitch, bar, cafés, library and a new community fire station.
Al Barsha Residential Development
Construction of two identical semi- commercial and residential developments, consisting of a common ground floor and two common podium parking levels, 12 floors of residential apartments and a gym floor at roof level and external works including two swimming pools. The total built up area of the project is 72,940 sqm.