QUANTITY surveyors and cost consultancy firm Henry Riley is leading the way in partnership working following a recent contract to provide housing for elderly people in the North-East.

Under the new Project Partnering Contract (PPC 2000) arrangement, Henry Riley has been appointed as client's representative by Hanover Housing Association and Durham County Council to provide six extraCare developments for older people throughout the county.

The £20m project will result in accommodation with on-site care in Brandon, Spennymoor, Seaham, Barnard Castle, Consett and Ouston.

Mark Newstead, the acting development director for Hanover Housing Association, said: "Hanover is pleased to be in partnership with Durham County Council to build six new extraCare schemes.

"The deal that was signed at the beginning of the year is the most complex and exciting development and contract the association has ever signed.

"The close partnership working with Durham has helped aid the successful project management of this development so far."

By the nature of the new contract, which places emphasis on partnering through the supply chain, Henry Riley is working with contractors MJ Gleeson Group, architects Mackellar Architecture, BES Consulting Engineers Limited and structural engineers Billinghurst George and Partners.

Through the PPC 2000 partnering contract, Henry Riley will administer features such as key performance indicators, benchmarking, shared savings and risk registers.

As client's representatives, Henry Riley is responsible for the project management and co-ordination of work on all six sites.

The first three schemes are scheduled for completion by January.

Graeme Hall, associate with Henry Riley, said: "As part of our drive for continual improvement on the service we offer clients, we analyse all aspects of cost and design as the schemes progress.

"Partnering is often perceived as an expensive option, but the cost analysis on the Durham schemes compares favourably with projects we have tendered both traditionally and on a design-and-build basis elsewhere."

Henry Riley has more than 25 years of experience in working on housing association projects with clients.

The firm is part of the £10.1m Henry Riley Group, a multi-disciplinary construction consultancy.

Published: 02/12/2003