Seddon has successfully negotiated the 57,000 sqft Veterinary School for Keele University through our established successful working relationship with the University and development partner Noviniti.
The new development includes 57,000 sqft building incorporating teaching facilities and a clinical skills centre for the veterinary school recently established by Keele University in partnership with Harper Adams University, the Shropshire agricultural college.
The two and three-storey facility will house;
- Teaching spaces including tutorial rooms, lecture theatre and informal study spaces
- Clinical Skills area including ‘Wet’ and ‘Dry’ Laboratories with ancillary spaces (changing, storage and cold room/freezers)
- Internal substation
- Lettable spaces for future veterinary tenants
- Academic offices
- External spaces are landscaped along with a new car park.
Under the construction contract of JCT 2016 Design & Build with amendments we worked in collaboration with Noviniti to successfully deliver the needs of the Universities and College, support the development of the surrounding community and improve the local economy.
Noviniti, a specialist developer of which Seddon is a shareholder and contractor partner, provided a unique service to its public sector clients. Already having an established and successful working relationship with Keele University, our development team successfully negotiated the new Veterinary Centre scheme. In partnership with Noviniti, we were able to arrange funding through the financial sector which finances the initial build cost and the monies generated from the rental income service and eventually pays off the original debt. At the end of the lease term, the ownership of the development reverts to Keele University.
The new development was handed over in phases in-line with higher education curriculum, enabling lettable tenants to acquire spaces and ensuring laboratories are carefully fitted out with specialist fixtures and fittings providing optimum benefits for Keele University, their students and future Veterinary businesses.
The JCT D&B 2016 construction contract was entered into between Noviniti and Seddon Construction.
Throughout the construction process, we engaged with the client and external bodies to close out any residual risks, planning matters and Building Control approval. These meetings developed into our soft-landing approach where we develop the hand over strategy, commissioning and phased sign-off leading to full access.
Social Value
The new two and three storey building will provide an essential learning and development mechanism for Veterinary students from academia to offering Lettable space to support their careers resulting in strengthening the local economy.
As a developer contractor we have greater opportunity to integrate social value into the projects we deliver, and our CSR programme has been designed to engage in the areas where we can have the strongest impact, with the business reinvesting the equivalent of 25% of our profit into communities.
