Amey’s Facilities Management team recently worked with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and supply chain partner, Bell Group, on a £1.5 million pound home refurbishment project in the Scotland & Northern Ireland region of their National Housing Prime contract.
The project was formally opened by the Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, Air Commodore Wendy Rothery and Captain of HMNB Clyde, Craig Mearns, following a reception in Commodore Robert Anstey RN’s home.
The project on Bannachra Drive included the refurbishment of 34 Service family homes. The extensive upgrade work that was carried out with the DIO and Bell Group included the fitting of new roofs, windows and doors, as well as new boilers, external wall insulation and rendering of the buildings. This will help insulation within the homes to help combat damp and mould issues and increase energy efficiency. The works also included the replacement of garage roofs, fencing and gates, gutters and downpipes, and we also removed chimneys from the properties.
Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, was there to witness the completion of the refurbishment work, joined by Air Commodore Wendy Rothery, DIO’s Head of Accommodation and Captain Craig Mearns, HM Naval Base Clyde’s Captain of the Base. Air Commodore Wendy Rothery spoke to families on Bannachra Drive who stated that they were very impressed with the upgrade and said “this is the best Service accommodation that they have ever had.”
This will help improve the lives of the Royal Navy families already living in the area, and some of the hundreds of families expected to move in to the area when the base becomes the Submarine Centre of Specialisation. From 2020, HM Naval Base Clyde will host all of the Royal Navy’s hunter killer submarines and will be the future home of the dreadnaught class of nuclear deterrent submarines. In future, all submariners will expect to serve their entire career at HM Naval Base Clyde, ensuring stability for serving personnel and their families.
Air Commodore Wendy Rothery said:
“The refurbishment of these houses is a prime example of how DIO provides vital support to the Armed Forces. This upgrade work will make a real difference to the quality of life of our Royal Navy personnel and their families. We are grateful to all the residents for their patience with the inevitable disruption caused by the work, and we hope they are very happy with the results.”
Andrew Blessing, Amey’s Scotland & Northern Ireland Regional Manager for the National Housing Prime contract, said:
“The success of the Bannachra project has been down to the collaborative working between the Royal Navy, Defence Infrastructure Organisation, Amey National Housing Prime team and the Bell Group understanding what the Service families’ needs are for the estate. The £1.5M upgrade of 34 properties has transformed the appearance of the estate and undoubtedly improved the quality of life for Service families.”