Infrastructure solutions company Costain has been reappointed as Bradford Council’s Strategic Delivery Partner, in a contract which is valued at up to £5m and will initially run for two years.
Costain will provide project, programme and commercial management services to support the successful design and delivery of a portfolio of capital investment programmes worth circa £250m. There is potential for two additional one-year phases to be added to the original commission.
Flagship projects within Bradford Council’s capital programme include:
- The transformation of Bradford Interchange, with enhanced connectivity to the city centre, improved integration between local bus and rail routes, and new infrastructure to support the active travel modes of walking and cycling.
- New Park and Ride facilities to ease congestion in the busy city centre and to improve air quality.
- Major improvements to the A6177 outer ring road to provide additional capacity on the local road network and enable more local journeys to be made by bus, bicycle or on foot.
Andy Clarke, Integrated Transport Director, said: “We are delighted to be building on our six-year relationship with Bradford Council with our reappointment as Strategic Delivery Partner. This is an exciting time as the Bradford district prepares to take on the mantle of UK City of Culture in 2025. We look forward to working closely with the council’s contractor to assure the sustainable and efficient construction of vital new infrastructure.”
Richard Gelder, Highways Services Manager at Bradford Council, said: “The continuation of our strategic delivery partner relationship with Costain allows Bradford Council to build on our joint history of working collaboratively as a combined team focused on the goal of achieving the best outcome for Bradford in delivering its transport infrastructure. The range of skills, support, advice and innovation Costain has brought to delivery of our capital projects continues to ensure the Council have a resilience and resource beyond its own organisation which can challenge and innovate delivery of other contractors. The behaviours demonstrated by Costain reflect the true partnership which will ensure we have a committed team working to make the City of Culture year a success. We look forward to continuing to work with the Costain team into the future.”
Previously, Costain has worked closely with Bradford Council to secure funding from the Transforming Cities Fund and the West Yorkshire Transport Fund for new infrastructure programmes. As Strategic Delivery Partner, Costain will assure the effective design and delivery of projects within these funded programmes, which seek to improve productivity and prosperity through the development of a sustainable, multi-modal transport network. Services provided will span the project lifecycle and feature business case assurance, transport planning, engineering design and design assurance, contract and commercial management, quantity surveying and social value consultancy.
In addition, Costain’s remit will include a focus on long-term and effective operational planning. It will set out a blueprint for embedding a sustainable skills legacy within the council’s workforce and reducing its reliance on outsourcing. This will allow the council to demonstrate value for money and to maximise the benefits for local people which come from infrastructure investment.
