12 Mar 2007

Interserve, the services, maintenance and building group, has won two contracts worth a total of £100 million in construction and facilities management revenue. These are: a contract to design and build aircraft parking stands for future aircraft fleets at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire; and the Plymouth Schools PFI project which has now reached financial close.

The Air Side Platform (ASP) works at Brize Norton are being procured by Defence Estates (DE) on behalf of the MoD. DE has awarded the contract to PriDE, the Interserve joint-venture company operating the South East Regional Prime contract, following the successful delivery of recent runway resurfacing and taxi-way works. Interserve's Project Services arm will undertake the £40 million project.
 
RAF Brize Norton is the Military Airport for Defence, and as such is an essential enabler for operations overseas. In July 2003 it was chosen as the future home for the RAF's air-to-air refuelling and passenger and freight transport fleet. The ASP works, which will accommodate 18 refuelling and heavy transport aircraft, are confirmation of the long-term future of RAF Brize Norton and its key role within RAF and defence plans.  The ASP stands will incorporate aircraft hydrant refueling/defueling facilities, lighting, electrical ground power, communications links and security cameras.

In the £60 million PFI contract with Plymouth City Council, Interserve will undertake the design, construction and ongoing FM services for two new schools: a primary school for 450 pupils and a pioneering 'all-through school' for 1,480 which brings together an early-years, primary, secondary and specialist school on a single campus. The Whitleigh campus will also offer community education and sports and arts facilities. At the heart of the campus will be a forum which will provide a focus, a shared space and a learning resource area for the schools as well as the community.

The primary school is scheduled to open in early 2008 and the Whitleigh campus will follow in September of the same year. Once the schools are complete Interserve, which will invest £1.8 million in the project, will provide facilities management services over a 25-year period. Barclay's Private Equity is the consortium's financial partner.

Commenting on the awards Adrian Ringrose, Interserve Chief Executive, said, "These contracts clearly demonstrate the value of Interserve's whole-life approach to services and the breadth of skills we can offer across the Group. We have been able to bring in the specialist expertise of our Project Services division to undertake the Brize Norton infrastructure project, supplementing the work being done by our Facilities business in the MoD's South East Regional Prime contract, and both divisions will also work together in developing the schools for Plymouth."