Name: Nicholas Heath MCIOB
Employer: Willmott Dixon Construction Limited
Project: HMP Nottingham
Contract: PPC 2000
The security implications of prison projects tend to demand laborious access procedures that seriously impede construction progress. But Nick Heath came up with a delivery strategy that not only protected the critical path but locked in efficiency gains to advance the delivery of the scheme by 10 weeks.
The crucial decision was to isolate the work site from the rest of the prison. By surrounding the project with its own security fence, and endowing it with its own access, Nick won an unusual measure of site freedom.
A temporary gatehouse was built for prison access, while the construction site used the existing gatehouse. While construction workers still needed security clearance to be allowed to work on the site, the daily personal/toolkit security checks and prison escorts to and from the work faces could be dispensed with.
Nick also made a substantial investment in self-contained temporary facilities within the main prison boundary for prison staff, whose facilities had been demolished and were being replaced. The effect was to eliminate potential disruption of the live prison by the construction site and went a long way to establishing excellent user relations. And Nick’s own effective communications helped overcome some staff resistance to what was a big change in their working environment.
He also took firm grasp of the Lean management principles incorporated into the programme at a late stage by the client. Willing and adaptable, Nick adjusted to the new circumstances with ease. The result of his fine management was a project delivered within budget and early.
Value: £77.2m