West Midlands projects boost Morgan Sindall Group

The construction and regeneration group, which operates through five divisions of construction and infrastructure, fit out, affordable housing, urban regeneration and investments, delivered operating profit of £15.2 million on revenue of £998m, which was two per cent down onr the same period last year.

The Group reports an order book of £2.7 billion, up 14% on the previous year end, supported by a £3.2 billion pipeline of regeneration schemes, up five per cent.

Key West Midlands projects include Morgan Sindall's appointment by Walsall Council to deliver the first phase of a major regeneration project to transform Walsall Town Centre.

The multi-million pound redevelopment of the Old Square Shopping Centre is being led by Walsall Council after the authority agreed to provide around £8m from its own cash reserves to kick start the project. The project will involve the demolition of the part of the Old Square Shopping Centre centre's former Tesco building and surrounding units and the construction of a new 54,000 sq ft development, which will house UK fashion retailer Primark and the Mid-Counties Co-Operative supermarket.

Key housing projects for Lovell in the Midlands include an £8m, three-year housing refurbishment programme for Dudley Council; a £51m contract to build 346 homes for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation at Beacon Barracks, Stafford; a £7.8m scheme to carry out external refurbishment work to four blocks of flats for Sandwell Council. Work; a £35m, three-year framework contract to refurbish 2,000 homes for Sandwell Council; a £9.2m development of 98 homes in Walsall creating affordable homes for Walsall Housing Group and properties for open market sale and a £30m, 229-home scheme with Sandwell Council, which is being delivered through Compendium Living, and which will provide affordable and open market homes

Lovell managing director Stewart Davenport says: "The first half of 2014 has seen the confidence in the housing market continue. First-time buyers returned in greater numbers to the market supported by the Government's Help to Buy initiative which has resulted in increased sales activity in all our regions.

This has enabled us to invest in new opportunities focused on mixed tenure projects developed in partnership with housing associations and local authorities.

"We are well placed to capitalise on public sector land opportunities procured by the Greater London Authority and Homes and Communities Agency as we are on all their partner panels."