1 May 08

Project Allenby/Connaught scooped three major awards at the Public Private Finance Awards ceremony held on Tuesday 29th April London. The awards which are now in their tenth year are sponsored by Public Private Finance Journal, and recognise innovation and excellence in the public private partnerships industry. The awards also recognise leading organisations which offer services as well as buildings applaud those which strive for innovation and efficiencies.

The three awards presented to Project Allenby/Connaught are:

• Best Operational Defence Scheme
• Best Government Agency Team award
• And the Grand Prix award ‘Best Operational UK Project

Peter Smart, Chief Executive, Aspire Defence said, “The three awards - Grand Prix and Best Operational Defence Scheme and Best Government Agency Team which was won by the MoD project team, are a significant accolade which recognises the excellent work being delivered by Project Allenby/Connaught as well as the working relationship between the MoD and Aspire Defence.

This is a huge achievement and great credit to everyone involved at Aspire Defence, in the MoD team and at our parent companies, KBR and Carillion. Project Allenby/Connaught is strategically important in ensuring that the Army can continue to recruit and retain the high calibre soldiers it needs to meet its demanding operational commitments. It is all about making soldiers lives better by giving them decent accommodation - and that is something which motivates all of our people.”

Doug Weidner, MoD Project Manager added, “To win these awards is a fantastic accolade. To win the Grand Prix and Best Operational Defence Scheme is a further endorsement of the progress Aspire Defence and the MoD have made to improve the living and working accommodation for the British Army. This is a complex project covering a huge area, which has the opportunity to improve the daily lives of more than 18,700 soldiers. Proof that we are delivering on this commitment can be seen around the garrisons, and I am proud that this has been recognised by winning these prestigious awards”.

Winning the awards marks a significant milestone for Aspire Defence, a joint venture between Carillion and KBR, and the Ministry of Defence who are working together to deliver Project Allenby/Connaught – the largest estates PFI ever let, under which the quality of life for over 18,700 soldiers, 20% of the British Army, is improving thanks to the provision of modern, high quality, fully serviced and purpose built living and working accommodation.

The 35 year contract is replacing and improving Army living and working accommodation across the garrisons of Salisbury Plain and Aldershot. 

In just two years of operation 2000 soldiers now have new single en-suite living accommodation and over 100 buildings including living accommodation, restaurants, regimental headquarters, messes, armouries, stores and leisure facilities have been built or refurbished, with on average, one new building being completed each week.

Project Allenby/Connaught is reversing years of under investment in the Army’s estate and less than two years into operation it is already bringing significant tangible improvements in the quality of life at the garrisons across Aldershot and Salisbury Plain. These improvements are essential to the Army’s recruitment and retention of high quality soldiers.

The most significant impact of the contract is the provision of single living accommodation. Soldiers, who used to share rooms and communal washing facilities in old fashioned poorly maintained Victorian buildings, now have their own bedrooms with private en-suite facilities. In addition, each six bedroom flat has a lounge, kitchen and laundry room. This along with the provision of quality shops, cafes, bars and sports facilities is, according to the soldiers themselves, making their daily lives better. All of this is supported by the provision of a very broad range of services:  from technical stores management to tailoring of uniforms, from the provision of transport to catering – in fact just about everything needed to run a military garrison other than the physical security and guarding.