Industry briefs number 10 on Building Down Barriers

Exclusive by Kathy Watson



The Government was given an update of progress on the Building Down Barriers initiative last week at a briefing at 10 Downing Street.

Laing and Amec were asked to provide reports on the two army recreation and sports centres they are building at Wattisham, in Suffolk, and Aldershot, Hampshire, in a unique partnering initiative with Defence Estates, the MoD's procurement arm.

The information was given to Clive Cain, director of Defence Estates, for last Thursday's meeting with the Government.

The joint pilot scheme is the beginning of a major change in procurement methodology for central and local Government. In future the focus will be on lifetime rather than capital costing and deep supply chain partnering with extensive design phases to ensure client satisfaction and buildability.

Both sports centres are ahead of programme with Laing and Amec pooling their ideas in regular meetings.

Clive Cain, director of Defence Estates, told Contract Journal last month: "What I have never seen before is all the supply chain designers, subcontractors and suppliers being willing to open up and put ideas forward and discuss and explore better methods."