Mott MacDonald beats rivals to key role in biggest PFI hospital

Consultancy group Mott MacDonald has secured a key role on the UK’s biggest PFI hospital scheme planned for East London.

The firm has been appointed technical advisor on the £1bn Barts and Royal London project and will act both for the hospital trusts planning the scheme and for the Skanska-led consortia that will carry out the redevelopment.

Sources close to the firm, who beat off bids from WSP and Mouchel Parkman to win the role, said the fee level for the work would be around the £2m mark.

The Skanska consortia, which also includes specialist PFI banker Innisfree, is expected to reach financial close on the deal two years after it was named preferred bidder. The firm beat off a bid from French contractor Bouygues.

The scheme received planning approval from Tower Hamlets council and Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, in March.

This followed criticism raised by architectural watchdog CABE on the design and layout of the project, which was designed by architect HOK, last August.

The scheme was subsequently redesigned and as a result CABE withdrew its objections earlier this year.

Sources say contract could be worth up to £2m

A recent report claimed that the scheme was also facing a legal challenge from local residents due to the amount of traffic that the expansion of the hospital will generate.

The Barts job follows a raft of high-profile new commissions won by Mott MacDonald’s QS and project management division Franklin + Andrews.

The firm is working with architect Make on its masterplan for the £1.5bn redevelopment of the Elephant and Castle in Southwark, south London.

A development partner for the scheme is expected to be selected from a shortlist of seven, which was announced by Southwark council this week. The seven are: Lend Lease, Canary Wharf, Key Property Investments, Oceancrest, Prudential Property Investments, Taylor Woodrow and Multiplex. The bidders will submit plans for the scheme this autumn and a winner will be announced early next year.

F+A is also on a team working on plans to redevelop the Lansdowne Road rugby stadium in Dublin with architect HOK, consultant Capita Symonda and engineering consultancy Buro Happold.