Wragge & Co advises Amey on £2bn Sheffield Highways project
BIRMINGHAM law firm Wragge & Co has advised infrastructure services provider Amey on its new £2bn highways management and maintenance contract with Sheffield City Council.
This follows on from the firm’s role in advising Amey on the £2.7bn Birmingham Highways PFI project in 2009 – the largest of its kind in UK history.
During the 25-year service period, which begins in August, Amey will oversee the upgrade and maintenance of Sheffield’s roads, pavements, street lighting, bridges and ‘streetscene.’
This includes 1,900 km of road, 68,000 streetlights, 480 traffic signals, 600 bridges and other structures and 2,400 retaining walls. In addition to improved road networks, the projects will create employment, graduate and apprenticeship opportunities which could see nearly 170 new jobs created in the city.
Wragge & Co’s head of projects David Fennell led a cross-firm team, including experts in PFI, property, pensions and energy and infrastructure finance. They worked closely with Amey Ventures directors Keith Cottrell, Asif Ghafoor and Nick Dawson, Amey head of legal Wayne Robertson and Amey’s in-house legal team.
Fennell said: “We have been a valued and trusted legal adviser to Amey for a long time; having supported them for five years on the full bidding and procurement process for the Birmingham Highways PFI project.”
The Department for Transport and Sheffield City Council will fund the project alongside a group of lenders. Linklaters advised the consortium of lenders comprising Lloyds Banking Group, KfW, Nord LB and SMBC. DLA acted for Sheffield City Council.
