Case Study — Sport & Leisure Jaguar Land Rover Fen End: Test Track
Lead Cost Manager and Employer’s Agent for the high-speed test track and vehicle test facilities at Jaguar Land Rover’s Fen End site in Warwickshire, part of a £65m scheme.
The challenge
A proving ground built for high-speed testing
The Fen End scheme included a new vehicle test track for Jaguar Land Rover: a high-speed track with a banked corner, together with noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) and low-speed test facilities, designed by specialist circuit designers Apex Circuit Design.
Test track works bring their own commercial challenges: specialist surfacing, demanding tolerances for high-speed use, earthworks and drainage on a largely flat site, and interfaces with the surrounding infrastructure and buildings. Careful cost planning and control was essential to protect JLR’s budget.
Delivered by Ollie Thompson MRICS in a previous role at Mace.
Project facts
At a glance
Lead cost management and Employer’s Agent services for the high-speed test track and test facilities, under a JCT Design and Build 2011 contract with client amendments.
Client
Jaguar Land Rover
Location
Fen End, Warwickshire
Value
Part of a £65m scheme
Our role
Lead Cost Manager and Employer’s Agent
Track
High-speed track with banked corner
Test facilities
NVH and low-speed test areas
Procurement
Two-stage design and build tender
Contract
JCT Design and Build 2011, with client amendments
Project team
Wates (main contractor), Apex Circuit Design (track design)
Our approach
Commercial control of specialist track works
Cost Planning
Specialist cost planning for the track surfacing, banked corner, earthworks, drainage and test facilities as the design developed.
Two-Stage Tender
Early contractor involvement at first stage, with second-stage pricing of the track and test facility packages tested for value.
Employer’s Agent
Administering the JCT Design and Build contract with client amendments and reviewing the contractor’s proposals for the track works.
Valuations
Valuations of earthworks, drainage and track works, so payments reflected the work actually in place.
Interfaces & Risk
Tracking the cost risks at the interfaces between the track, drainage, infrastructure and buildings.
Change Control
Change assessed for cost and time as it arose, keeping JLR informed of forecast outturn.
The outcome
A proving ground for Jaguar Land Rover
High-speed test track
A high-speed track with a banked corner for vehicle testing and development.
Test facilities
Noise, vibration and harshness and low-speed test areas for JLR’s engineers.
Part of a major scheme
Delivered as part of JLR’s £65m vehicle operations facility at Fen End.
See the other parts of the scheme: the Vehicle & Special Operations Facility and the Fen End infrastructure works.
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