News

We’re celebrating at Walter Lilly with news that our longstanding positive relationship with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is continuing.

DEFRA has launched a new Engineering Delivery Framework (Science Estates), which starts next month, and Walter Lilly has been appointed to three lots.

The framework streamlines the procurement process by listing qualified providers capable of helping DEFRA deliver a capital investment plan of £600m over four years at sites including the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in Weybridge, Surrey.

The three lots that Walter Lilly has been appointed to include:

Lot 1A – Works in Containment Facilities

Complete project life cycles from design, build, installation, and refurbishments inside a containment laboratory environment, which will vary from CL2, CL3 SAPO3 and SAPO4 and a combination thereof.

 Lot 2A – General Accommodations Works

The whole project life cycle, including design, build and installation works across the DEFRA Weybridge site, outside containment or in buildings that do not have containment.

 Lot 3A – Site Infrastructure Works

The full project life cycles from design, build and installation works , including civil engineering and infrastructure works to support building projects.

Phil Lavelle, Director of our Science and Education division at Walter Lilly, said: “This is excellent news for Walter Lilly. Our outstanding stakeholder communications and safe, reliable, cost-effective, and high-quality construction delivery performance has led to a longstanding and productive relationship with DEFRA. We’re excited to continue our collaborative relationship with DEFRA and look forward to the upcoming contract. We are proud to be a part of a framework that is strengthening the UK’s position of being a science and technology superpower of the future.”

Success breeds success

Walter Lilly’s experience with DEFRA APHA Weybridge first started in 1998 when we carried out a refurbishment of the Rabies Containment Unit. We progressively carried out a further 16 capital projects culminating with the Virology Containment Facility in 2011. We were also awarded the Minor Capital Works Framework in 2003, completing 40–50 smaller projects per annum over a ten-year framework period as the single source Principal Contractor. More recently, we were appointed to the Engineering Delivery Framework that commenced in 2017 and will be ending in September this year. We are thrilled to continue our involvement at DEFRA Weybridge with this next phase of Framework projects.

Our projects for DEFRA have also secured several national and local sustainability and safety awards (National BREEAM Bespoke Award, National BREEAM Industrial Award, RICS Sustainability Award, Green Apple Award). In addition, we have also received Critical Works Awards, including best health and safety attitude on site, most safety-focused site, and delivering quality projects.