Morgan Sindall opens Cumbria base

CONSTRUCTION giant Morgan Sindall has opened a base in Cumbria to pursue opportunities in the nuclear sector.

The company is already bidding for a place on the 15-year, £1.1bn Sellafield Infrastructure Strategic Alliance (ISA), but the managing director of its construction arm, Graham Shennan, said he expects other work to emerge in the nuclear sector over the next few years.

Shennan, who heads a £1.3bn business unit, said: “Although we have two other offices in the North West, we probably do a bit less in the far North West than elsewhere so we feel it’s one of the areas we can exploit.

“The nuclear industry and its supply chain are critical to the economic development of West Cumbria. There is the potential for up to £41 billion of projects in the region over the next two decades and we have the expertise and scale to play a key role in that work.”

The company, which already has North West offices in Manchester and Liverpool, is accredited to carry out work in the sector and has already worked on projects for Urenco at Capenhurst, near Chester, and at the Aldermaston facility in Berkshire.

Shennan added that there was potential in the area for other parts of the Morgan Sindall Group – including its Salford-based regeneration arm Muse Developments and affordable housing business Lovell.

He added that Morgan Sindall was no stranger to Cumbria, having recently been involved in the rebuilding of Navvies’ bridge in Workington and the new £5m Dalton Research Institute facility at the Westlakes Science Park, which is also the location of its new office.

“An office up here was the next logical step.”

The Cumbrian office will be headed by Andy Crowder, business development director of its utility services division.