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Posted - 3rd October 18

Construction begins on new Early Years’ education facility for Tidworth

Construction is underway on a new Early Years’ Nursery and Pre-school to benefit families in Tidworth.

The facility, which is located on Salisbury Road and is scheduled for completion in Autumn 2019, will enable children to develop confidence and self-esteem including through hands-on learning experiences in the surrounding woodland.

The building is being delivered by Aspire Defence Capital Works

fence Capital Works on behalf of the MOD and will cater for the increase in local early years’ demand under the Army Basing Programme (ABP), which will see approximately 1,300 military families relocating to the Salisbury Plain Training Area, including Tidworth, in 2019.

The contemporary single-storey design boasts sustainable credentials and the building’s environmental performance will be closely monitored during construction and operation.  Ecological survey and mitigation works have already been completed at the site, including an extensive exercise to safely capture and relocate reptiles because their habitat would have been disturbed during works.

Contractors are moving onto site in early October to begin planning-approved tree felling works.  The building has been positioned to minimise tree removals, with some tree cover to be retained around the perimeter. An area of mature woodland within the site and some individual trees along the A338 road need to be cleared.  The canopies of some retained trees will also need to be thinned out.

A replanting scheme is in place, including new hedging along the roadside and a collection of native and ornamental exotic tree species planted within the site.  Retained trees will be managed into the future, providing a mature woodland setting for the children to explore and enjoy, and a safe, long-term amenity for the local community.  An area of grass will also be left to flourish under the canopy of retained trees and this, along with the new planting, will create a natural habitat for wildlife and encourage many species to thrive and return.

Mark Duddy, ABP Programme Director, said:

“This new Early Years’ facility will be an important addition to the Tidworth community that will support local families, both military and civilian, in the area for many years to come. This facility is a great example of how we are investing in new infrastructure beyond the important military assets inside the wire, to enable the moves of single soldiers and military families to the Salisbury Plain Training Area in 2019.”

/ENDS

Photo: Artist’s impression of Early Years’ Nursery & Pre-school now under construction in Tidworth

Notes for editors:

  1. The Army Basing Programme (ABP) is a joint Army and Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) programme set up to implement the Regular Army Basing Plan announced by the Secretary of State for Defence in March 2013.  It will provide the facilities the Army needs to live, work and train in the UK as it returns from Germany, rebases across the UK and restructures to its future Army 2020 formations.
  2. DIO is part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD).  It works with the Armed Services to manage and maintain land and properties, as well as providing related support services, to meet the current and future needs of the MOD and personnel at home and abroad, and to support current operations.
  3. Aspire Defence is improving living and working environments for British soldiers through provision of modern, high-quality, fully-serviced and purpose-built accommodation in Aldershot and across Salisbury Plain, under the 35-year Project Allenby/Connaught contract (PAC).  PAC is one of the largest infrastructure PFIs (Private Finance Initiative) ever let by the MOD.
  4. Aspire Defence is comprised of three entities – Aspire Defence Limited (ADL), Aspire Defence Capital Works (ADCW) and Aspire Defence Services Limited (ADSL).  ADL holds the contract with the MOD and is owned by three shareholders – KBR (45%) and funds managed by Innisfree (37.5%) and InfraRed (17.5%).  ADL sub-contracts to ADCW, which is delivering the construction to support the Army Basing Programme, and ADSL, responsible for a comprehensive range of facilities management services delivered over the 35 years of the contract to 2041.
  5. ADCW and ADSL are owned by KBR.

 

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