Construction partner signed up for massive project

THE development of Europe's largest covered leisure facility reached a further milestone today when the company behind it announced that it had signed a deal with a major construction group to build the project.

Oak Holdings, the AIM listed company developing the £350m YES! Project on a former coalfield near Rotherham, has agreed a partnership agreement with Laing O'Rourke, the UK's largest privately-owned construction company.

The deal sees Laing O'Rourke providing all construction services for the project on a 327-acre site near junction 31 of the M1 which will create 3,000 permanent jobs and another 2,000 construction jobs during its three-year development.

Chief Executive of Oak Holdings, Steve Lewis said: “The exciting developments announced recently are the fruits of four and a half years' labour. We are now

in a position to move the scheme forward with certainty. To secure the services of Laing O'Rourke, with its exemplary record for delivering high-profile schemes successfully and on time, is a major achievement for the project.

“Laing O'Rourke is one of Europe's foremost construction services groups and it is championing the partnership approach to major projects. We are very pleased to have them as our partners,” he added.

Mike Robins, managing director for construction Europe at Laing O'Rourke, added: “We are delighted to be involved with such a visionary project. The collaborative and inclusive approach Oak has adopted in its approach to all its consultants and specialist partners accords with our ethos, and we are committed to supporting the project.”

Oak recently secured a deal with the Sheffield Steelers ice hockey team to develop a new state-of-the-art purpose-built arena, the first of its kind in the

UK, and BT has also announced recently its involvement in the project to its global workforce.