Energy, health and sport among key sectors for projects and procurement team

Andrew Hirst

By Andrew Hirst, managing associate at Womble Bond Dickinson.

The projects and procurement team at Womble Bond Dickinson has a proven track record in advising public and private sector clients on a range of matters, including public procurement and State aid. Over recent months, the team has advised on a number of key projects, both here in Yorkshire and also nationally.

A key focus for the team is our work in the clean energy sector, particularly decarbonisation. Great strides forward have been made in relation to the decarbonisation of electricity but relatively little progress has been made in relation to heat.

To address this, the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is investing approximately £320m into heat networks, in order to leverage a further £1 billion of private sector investment into the sector. Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) advised BEIS on its published guidance for local authorities on the procurement of finance for heat network which will be used to help deliver the investment into the sector. We are currently working with a number of local authorities in the region and nationally, in order to support them with their heat network projects.

In April, we advised on a significant project working with City of York Council on its Park and Ride partnership with First York Limited. The partnership will deliver ultra-low emission buses and improve air quality in the city. This is a significant development for the region and for the country as it moves us a step closer to the electrification of mass transport and the benefits which that will bring.

Another important area of work for the team is our support for public sector leisure projects. Our specialist team have worked with local authorities on key projects that support the local economy and community engagement including advising Barrow in Furness Borough  Council and South Holland District Council on their respective leisure contracts with private sector partners.

We have also advised local authorities on projects to develop and build community based facilities. In late 2017, we worked with City of York Council on the agreements for the new 8,000 seat sports stadium, hub and leisure centre which is due to open later this year.

More recently, we have acted for Wakefield City Council in relation to the provision of a £3m loan to help fund the acquisition by Wakefield Trinity RLC of its existing Belle Vue Stadium. Trinity had been tenants of the stadium but wanted to acquire the freehold with a view to developing the stadium over the next few years to meet the Rugby Football League’s requirements for Super League clubs. The acquisition of the site was the first critical piece in the jigsaw in terms of delivery of this strategy, and the firm worked with the Council and the Club’s advisers to frame terms which would meet all legal requirements and give the Club the ability to plan for the future.

We have a specialist team based in Leeds with a wealth of experience of advising the public sector, private sector and funders across a broad range of sectors including education, health, heat networks, leisure, transport and waste.

Close