Chocks away for Morgan Sindall Spitfire museum contract

Morgan Sindall has won a deal to build a new £5.4m extension for its Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, which will house a Spitfire RW388.

The 3,800 sq ft building complete with specialised
structural glazing will enable the Spitfire to be viewed from outside the
museum.

Morgan Sindall will also refurbish the existing 4,200 sq ft café,
including internal improvements to the walls, ceilings, and floor finishes. The
café will be fully operational upon the completion of the new gallery.

Enabling works began in early March and the main contract is
now progressing in line with government guidelines on safe operation.

The site team is currently focused on the foundations for
the build, with the site sitting on the ex-North Staffordshire Coalfield. Over
the past five months, the team has worked to remove any obstructions from
beneath the surface, as well as filling in any visible coal seams. Steelwork is
set to begin in early autumn, when the external frame for the building will
begin to take shape.

Morgan Sindall Construction was appointed to deliver the
project through the Scape Regional Construction framework. Under the framework,
the main contractor will ensure that at least a fifth of the project’s
investment fee is matched by social value contributions which will benefit the
local community.

Reginald J. Mitchell, the creator of the Spitfire plane, was
born and educated in North Staffordshire. Morgan Sindall Construction has
collaborated with the local council and other consultants on the scheme on an
educational film, to be used within the museum itself, about the history of the
plane and its special relationship with the city.

Rob Cant, Scape Regional Construction framework director at
Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “Throughout the turbulence of the past few
months, we have seen more than ever the importance of our local communities.
Stoke-on-Trent’s iconic Spitfire is emblematic of the city’s fighting spirit.
We are proud to be involved in such an important scheme for both the city’s
wider economic offering, and its own regional heritage, while also serving as a
clear inspiration to the next generation of innovators and engineers.

“Work is progressing well thanks to a diverse and
highly-skilled local supply chain we’re collaborating with on this project and
we look forward to seeing it come out of the ground in the months ahead.”

Mark Robinson, Scape Group chief executive, said: “The
Spitfire is a symbol of ingenuity, agility and endeavour that continues to make
a significant contribution to Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire’s £1.7bn visitor
economy. It’s a pleasure to see The Potteries Museum & Arts Gallery, Morgan
Sindall Construction and Perfect Circle united under these principles to bring
this powerful story to a new generation. We’re so proud to have played our part
in performance managing this important restoration project, with the museum
using our framework to break ground on the new extension with both speed and
certainty.”

Property, construction and infrastructure consultancy
Perfect Circle has been appointed as the city council’s multi-disciplinary
construction consultant through Scape Group’s Built Environment Consultancy
Services (BECS) framework to deliver all services, including project
management, quantity surveying, and mechanical and electrical engineering.

Construction is expected to complete on the project in
spring 2021.