John Laing is preferred bidder to design, build and operate a new mental health facility in Middlesbrough on behalf of the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust. The 312 bed hospital will replace an existing facility on the St Luke’s site.

The PFI project, which is due to reach financial close in November 2007, will provide nearly 27,000 sq m of floor space for the hospital and will have a wide range of accommodation, appropriate to the diverse mental health and learning disability services it will provide. All the living accommodation will be at ground level, contributing to the hospital’s domestic scale. The buildings will be light and airy with plenty of gardens and outdoor space.

There will also be shared activity space, giving patients a similar environment to that which they would experience in the community.

The development is the cornerstone of the Trust’s Ad>ance modernisation programme of service improvements.

Laing O’Rourke is the construction partner for the project with, the architects being MAAP, M&E being provided by Desco, C&S by WSP, legal and financial services by Beachcroft and PwC respectively.

John Laing Integrated Services will provide hard FM in the form of security, restaurant and hospitality, utilities, car parking and grounds and gardens.