Clifford Devlin’s strategy to diversify and expand its reach into the public sector has been boosted by winning two refurbishment projects in the healthcare sector. The Building & Special Works Division has been commissioned to carry out major works at facilities in Barnet and Essex this summer.

The £120k, 7-week project at Chelmsford’s Broomfield Hospital will involve cleaning over 600 metres of ducting. In June we were also awarded a £330k contract to refurbish the fire-damaged Brunswick Park Health Centre which had remained unoccupied for over 2 years. This will involve stripping the building back to its shell structure and remodelling and refitting it internally to create a new, state-of-the-art health centre.

Although Clifford Devlin has carried out a number of demolition projects in hospital premises – most notably a £1.3 million project at the Rockefeller Nurses Home in the West End and various works to support redevelopment of Mile End Hospital – the company has traditionally specialised in commercial developments involving complex, city-centre demolition. However the collapse in private equity-funded schemes in 2008/9 encouraged us to diversify.

“Our willingness to display flexibility and embrace new markets and ways of working has enabled Clifford Devlin to increase its market share in challenging economic circumstances,” commented Clifford Devlin’s Managing Director, Tim Clifford, “Development of our management systems, and achieving sector-specific accreditations such as Link-Up (rail) and UVBD Verify (utilities) enabled us to bid for public sector contracts.”

Since 2010 the company has been involved in a number of Building Schools for the Future projects, a major Thameslink programme to redevelop London Bridge Rail station as well as residential framework contracts for local authority and housing association clients.