Complete construction partner, Stepnell, has finished works to improve and preserve two important public serving commercial buildings in Coalville, for North West Leicestershire District Council.
Stepnell also completed various mechanical and electrical installations including a new lift, air conditioning, alarms and infrastructure work to support a new power supply and gas connections.
The £1.9 million alteration works to Stenson House, NWLDC’s civic building, which is also home to the Registration Service and Citizens Advice were completed over 31 weeks. During this time, Stepnell made changes to facilitate the separation of the building. This was achieved while preserving the current layout and updating the internal finishes such as floors, walls, ceilings and lighting.
The second project completed by Stepnell for the Council was a £1.4 million renovation of Whitwick Business Centre over 26 weeks. This was the first major update to the building since its last extension in the 1970’s. Older elements of the building were deteriorating rapidly, requiring extensive refurbishment to reach modern energy standards. Stepnell has now created a refreshed open plan and flexible office space for council employees.
Adrian Barnes, regional director at Stepnell said: “Stenson House and Whitwick Business Centre are two recognisable council buildings in Coalville. We went to great lengths to ensure that the refurbishment and improvement works were conducted with respect to improving building safety and efficiency while minimising disruption throughout the projects.
“Delivering these projects through the Procure Partnerships Framework (PPF) enabled us to be flexible during the build to meet the requirements of North West Leicestershire District Council. Via PPF we were able to deliver the renovations to the highest quality, with significant engagement with trusted local suppliers.”
Throughout both projects, Stepnell liaised with the Council to minimise disruption and re-sequenced the delivery programme to enable areas to be completed sooner. Furthermore, the team issued partial possession certificates to allow important council meetings to continue to take place in the building.
The project aligns with North West Leicestershire District Council’s delivery plans to increase commercial opportunities and footfall in Coalville town centre.
Paul Wheatley, head of property and economic regeneration at North West Leicestershire District Council, said: “We have been delighted with the work that Stepnell has done in renovating two of our buildings for modern and efficient use by our staff, civic functions and tenants.
“The quality of the work has been exceptional, and Stepnell has proved themselves to be a highly professional and responsive contractor, able to bring two very different buildings up to a high standard.”
To support local students, Stepnell took part in a careers fair at a local secondary school and participated in talks with A level students to discuss their university options and career paths. As part of the community work, 174 trees were planted at a local country park to improve local biodiversity.
Stepnell invested in the local community by spending a combined £800k in the local community across both projects, as a result of committing to work with several local suppliers in the area. Across the two sites, Stepnell also diverted a combined £3.5k tonnes of waste diverted from landfill.
