Construction and professional services consultancy facilitates £17.5m of council spend with local SMEs
A Cornish construction and professional services consultancy has been supporting Cornwall Council’s major investment programme through the expertise of local people and businesses.
Mace Ward Williams Joint Venture (MWJV) has been working with its local partners which include architects, surveyors and engineers to deliver Cornwall Council’s Built Environment Professional Services (BEPS) Framework which it has been working on for the past four years.
Working on behalf of Cornwall Council, MWJV reported that 95% (£17.5m) of its total spend has been with local businesses since starting the project. Of this, 73% (£13.4m) has been spent with micro, small and medium sized enterprises.
Jeremy Dunn, managing director of MWJV said: “MWJV’s focus has been to place the passion and expertise of our local delivery teams centrally in Cornwall Council’s investment programme, and we’re happy to be helping to support these businesses and the local economy whilst doing so. Through utilising local supply chains we can help to return £2.50 to the local economy for every £1 spent.
“We have great relationships with our Cornish partners, all of which have nationally leading expertise ready to be delivered locally. The opportunity to support community investment, infrastructure and create better facilities for Cornwall is something we are all proud to be involved in.”
The BEPS Framework includes large-scale public sector projects ranging across sectors from education, housing, transport, town deals and infrastructure.
Kieren Couch, a civil engineer born and raised in Camborne has been working as a lead project manager for MWJV on several programmes across the framework, including Camborne’s Town Deal which seeks to improve community access to active travel and revitalise the heart of the town.
Couch said: “Each of the Cornish towns benefiting from funding has a vision to improve their transport infrastructure and as a proud Cornishman it is my responsibility to use my expertise and professional experience to help shape and realise those visions. With MWJV I am able to make sure the framework is maximising the opportunities and benefits to the community.
“It gives me a great amount of pride to support my local community and to ensure that Cornwall remains resilient and ready for the future. I want to make sure that every pound of investment is having a positive impact on these towns.”
Poynton Bradbury Wynter Cole (PBWC), an architecture firm based in St Ives has worked alongside MWJV on several projects including Launceston College which has just entered its final stage of construction.
Cian Spowart, director at PBWC said: “We’ve been working with Cornwall Council for nearly 20 years and working with MWJV has noticeably streamlined our ability to work on council projects with other SMEs.
“Working with MWJV has been key to our growth. Since the framework, we have grown our workforce from 18 to 28, exceeding our forecast; this is due in part to the consistency of work offered by Cornwall Council and MWJV.”
