A Bovis Lend Lease consortium has this week won a £300m PFI hospital scheme in Manchester, one of the largest health schemes outside London.
The Catalyst consortium, which also includes US-based architect Anshen Dyer and facilities manager Sodexho, beat off competition from the New Hospitals group, led by Taylor Woodrow with architect RTKL.

The 30-year deal involves the creation and management of a hospital complex based in the existing Manchester Royal Infirmary. The deal is expected to be formally signed-off later this summer.

Phil Lovell, who headed the Catalyst bid, is expected to be the project director. Lovell declined to comment.

It has taken almost two years to appoint a preferred partner for the scheme. An advert inviting expressions of interest was placed in the European Union's Official Journal in July 2000.

The lengthy appointment process was a result of the scheme's complexity. A project observer said: "It's an amalgamation of a new children's hospital into a new complex – there are two clients, so it's very complicated."

There are two clients, so it’s a complicated development

Project observer

Bids from the original three-strong shortlist were submitted last September. Clients Manchester Children's Hospitals NHS Trust and Central Manchester Healthcare NHS Trust removed the third bid, made by a Mowlem-led consortium. Bids made by Amec and Kier/Alfred McAlpine were later withdrawn.

The project provides facilities for the Manchester Royal Infirmary and replaces hospitals at Pendlebury and Booth Hall with a new complex.

  • Carillion has poached a Bovis Lend Lease director to head its northern division.

    Tony Lenehan, a Bovis operations director in Manchester, leaves today to join Carillion after four years with the firm.

    As Carillion's northern managing director, Lenehan will report to the group's national construction managing director Martin Smoat.