New apartment blocks at Perry Barr, Birmingham, plots 8 and 9

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Case Study — Residential Perry Barr Residential Scheme, Plots 8 & 9

Quantity Surveyor, with NEC project management support, on a £78m scheme of 430 new homes in Birmingham, part of the regeneration accelerated by the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The challenge

430 homes against a fixed deadline

Four- and six-storey apartment blocks at Perry Barr, Birmingham

Plots 8 and 9 formed part of the first phase of the Perry Barr Residential Scheme, a major Birmingham regeneration programme accelerated by the investment secured for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Together the two plots delivered 430 one- and two-bedroom apartments in four- and six-storey blocks, for sale and rent.

The scheme had to be built against a fixed programme, through Brexit and Covid-19 disruption to materials and labour, a stretched local specialist workforce, and changing fire safety legislation for residential buildings.

Delivered by Ollie Thompson MRICS in a previous role at Arcadis.

Project facts

At a glance

Quantity surveying and NEC project management support from RIBA Stage 0 to 5.

Client

Lendlease

Location

Perry Barr, Birmingham

Value

£78m (plots 8 and 9)

Contract

NEC

Our role

Quantity Surveyor, with light-touch NEC project management

RIBA stages

0–5

Homes

430 one- and two-bedroom apartments

Construction

Light gauge steel frame, brick slip façades, offsite bathroom pods

Project team

Willmott Dixon (contractor), Corstorphine & Wright (architect)

Our approach

Cost and contract control through delivery

RIBA 0–1

Brief & Budget

Cost advice from the outset helped set a realistic budget for the plots within the wider Perry Barr programme.

BudgetFeasibilityRisk
RIBA 2–4

Cost Planning

Cost plans tracked the design as it developed, including the move to a modern methods of construction (MMC) solution.

Cost PlanMMCValue
RIBA 4

Procurement

Commercial input to the contractor’s appointment and the NEC contract set-up.

TenderNECAppointment
RIBA 5

NEC Administration

Light-touch NEC project management support, with early warnings and compensation events managed through the contract.

Early WarningsCompensation EventsProgramme
RIBA 5

Valuations & Reporting

Monthly assessments and cost reports kept the client informed of the forecast final cost.

AssessmentsReportingCash Flow
RIBA 5

Change Control

Change was assessed for cost and time through the NEC process, protecting the client’s budget during Brexit and Covid-19 disruption.

ChangeRiskCost

The outcome

430 new homes for Perry Barr

430

New homes

One- and two-bedroom apartments for sale and rent.

£78m

Plots 8 and 9

Delivered within the £326m first phase of the Perry Barr Residential Scheme.

0–5

RIBA stages

Quantity surveying and NEC project management support from inception through to construction.

Offsite construction cut waste and cement use significantly compared with a traditional build. Images: Willmott Dixon. See our Cost & Commercial Management and Project & Programme Management services, or view all projects.

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