The partners behind the first integrated, stand-alone dental hospital and dental school to be built in the UK for almost 40 years have reached financial close and work will start on site next month.
The partners behind the first integrated, stand-alone dental hospital and dental school to be built in the UK for almost 40 years have reached financial close and work will start on site next month.
The landmark development, led by Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust, together with its partners the University of Birmingham, Birmingham and Solihull LIFT (BaS LIFT) and Calthorpe Estates, was granted detailed planning permission in December 2012 for the site, which is the former home of BBC Pebble Mill studios.
The development is seen as highly strategic for the city, being a key element of the new Edgbaston Medical Quarter and further enhances the city’s reputation as a hub of Medicine, Learning and Life Sciences.
The development of the 1.23-hectare (3.05-acre) site will see a new four-storey dental hospital and school of dentistry constructed, with a build cost of £34m. Totalling 15,465 sqm, it will house a range of services for the public including walk-in emergency dental care, Restorative, Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Orthodontics and Paediatric Dentistry.
The public will access all dental services in one wing of the building with a second wing providing world-class research facilities and a modern learning environment for more than 600 undergraduate and postgraduate students and trainees.
Lead contractor Galliford Try is expected to start on site early September 2013 and it is anticipated the building will open to staff, students and the public in time for the beginning of the 2015 autumn term.
The existing dental hospital at St Chad’s Circus is more than 50 years old and the new building, designed by healthcare design specialists One Creative Environments Ltd, will not only provide a state-of-the-art clinical environment for patients’ treatment but also world-class teaching facilities. As an integral part of the University of Birmingham’s School of Dentistry, students will be better located for the main Edgbaston campus and medical school, allowing for improved integration of facilities.
Tracy Taylor, chief executive of Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust said: “The new Birmingham Dental Hospital and School of Dentistry is a symbol of everything we want to achieve as a provider of high quality healthcare services.
“We are committed to working with our partners to provide excellent care and treatment for all the communities we serve in accessible locations, fit-for-purpose for modern healthcare provision. It is very pleasing that construction work can now begin and we are a significant step closer to welcoming staff, students and members of the public to share in the benefits of this exciting development.”
Professor Philip Lumley, head of the School of Dentistry at the University of Birmingham said: “As international leaders in research, teaching and clinical service within dentistry, the University of Birmingham School of Dentistry welcomed the opportunity to work with our partners and is delighted to have reached this milestone.
“We look forward to continuing to work with Birmingham Dental Hospital and Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust to deliver this project, and further develop innovations that will underpin the oral and dental healthcare of the people in the city and region.”
Ewan Forsyth, Development Director for BaS LIFT said: “I am excited to have reached this latest milestone for such a significant development and it demonstrates how successful the collaboration between the partners has been. Being the first new integrated dental school and hospital in the UK for decades it is sure to attract regional, national and international interest. Having a facility that compares to the best in the world considerably strengthens Birmingham’s credentials as a centre of medical and dental excellence.”
Barry Cockcroft, The Chief Dental Officer for England said: “This demonstrates the confidence people have in the university and NHS teams in Birmingham to deliver high quality education for dental students and services for patients.
“The design of the building is innovative and will provide a great opportunity to integrate dental treatment, learning and research in a modern, state-of-the-art environment.”
Ralph Minott, Director of Development at Calthorpe Estates added;
“Calthorpe Estates has worked with Birmingham City Planning team now for ten years to realise a joint ambition for the strategic framework for Pebble Mill as a key destination for medicine and Life Sciences. Our partnership with BaSLIFT for the new Dental Hospital and School of Dentistry has been a perfect fit to that ambition, and we congratulate BaSLIFT on achieving Financial Close to complete their exciting proposals. Calthorpe Estates will kick start construction at Pebble Mill with £3.5million of infrastructure works to complete the services, estate road and public realm alongside the Dental Hospital construction. We are looking forward to completing the regeneration of Pebble Mill as a world class destination, with the future Circle Health private hospital and further medical and Life Science facilities.”
Sean Bowles, Managing Director of Galliford Try Central said: “We thank all our partners for their hard work and determination to see this project through to this point where we can begin construction. We are proud to play our part in providing these excellent new facilities for the benefit of the students who pass through the doors and the wider community in the West Midlands.”
Jason Whittall, Associate Director, One Creative Environments Ltd said:
“Getting the scheme to this stage has required a huge effort by all the stakeholders. It has been a challenging task but we have been delighted with the enthusiastic input from the wide cross-section of project stakeholders who have worked with us during the detailed design stage to create a strong building identity that will give the new facility visual impact throughout the building’s interior design, wayfinding, signage and colours.”
Dr Sarah Raper, Community Health Partnerships Executive Director commented: “The new Birmingham Dental Hospital is one of the largest and most exciting LIFT projects in the country. When it opens, I am certain that the project will be valued by both patients and the health care professionals who will work and study there.”
For more information, contact Kara Bradley in the University press office on 0121 414 5134
• University of Birmingham - The College of Medical and Dental Sciences at the University of Birmingham is a major international centre for research and education in medicine, medical sciences, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy and physiotherapy
Dentistry at Birmingham UK is the first choice for scientists, professionals, and leading students everywhere who want to be involved in world class research, or to get an internationally acclaimed degree in the dental and biomaterials professions.
Today, the School of Dentistry is a thriving institution having over 100 Dental, Therapy, and Biomaterial students per year. There are a large number of postgraduate research students together with support staff present in the school. The school continues to grow and is well placed to meet the demands and challenges of the coming years.
• Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust – Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust (BCHC) provides accessible and responsive community healthcare across the city of Birmingham and specialist healthcare services, including Birmingham Dental Hospital and community dental services, to the wider West Midlands region. It is one of the largest community healthcare providers in England, employing more than 5,000 staff and is in the advanced stages of the process to become accredited as an NHS Foundation Trust. www.bhamcommunity.nhs.uk
• Birmingham and Solihull LIFT Ltd (BaS LIFT) - was established in 2004, following the government’s plan to make 'joined-up' public services a reality via the national Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) programme. It is jointly owned by Community Health Partnerships (Department of Health), and Prime LIFT Investments Ltd (which is a joint venture between Prime plc and HICL Infrastructure Company Limited). BaS LIFT working together with its partners, seeks to develop the infrastructure for a new generation of health and social care services for the local community. BaS LIFT has already worked on many new health centres in the West Midlands as part of a long term programme of regeneration and reinvestment in community based healthcare. For more information visit www.baslift.co.uk
• Prime plc - The group was formed in 1996 bringing together individuals with expertise in property investment, design, development and healthcare. Since formation, the focus of the group has been the sourcing, design and development, ownership and management of community-based primary health and social care properties in the UK which are leased to GPs, NHS organisations and local authorities. This supports the long-term shift from delivery of care in acute (hospital) settings into primary care (GPs and community health settings) where care can be delivered more cost-effectively to patients. Prime’s portfolio contains 85 properties with a value of £400m+.
The group acts as a strategic property partner for GPs, NHS organisations, local authorities and other agencies. Clients can source all their property and estates services from Prime: from a feasibility study or business case to a complete building; from an estates review to a full estates rationalisation programme and from individual property (management) to full estates management. Prime has formal partnering agreements through two LIFT companies; Birmingham and Solihull LIFT (BaS LIFT) and Prima 200, covering the Staffordshire region. These award winning relationships have produced 31 healthcare buildings, with more under construction.
Prime has recently completed a number of significant and innovative projects, including Sparkbrook Community and Health Centre, the first integrated health and council facility in Birmingham and the £32 million St Catherine’s Health Centre in Birkenhead. For more information see www.primeplc.com
• HICL Infrastructure Company Limited – HICL Infrastructure Company Limited advised by its Investment Adviser InfraRed Capital Partners Limited, currently owns a portfolio of 89 social and transportation infrastructure investments and is the largest social infrastructure PFI / PPP infrastructure investment company listed on the London Stock Exchange. InfraRed Capital Partners Limited is a leading investment manager focused on generating attractive risk-adjusted, inflation-linked returns in real estate and infrastructure. Its investment teams have been successfully investing in infrastructure projects since 1997 and the business currently has in excess of US$6bn under management. For more information see www.ircp.com
• One Creative Environments Ltd - is an integrated building design business with a dynamic multi-disciplinary team comprising architecture, landscape architecture, masterplanning, structural and civil engineering, building services, interior design and BREEAM assessment. Specialising in healthcare facilities, the company has a collaborative 360° approach meaning they work in partnership with clients, developers, investors, contractors, manufacturers, advisors, building users and communities to create designs that not only safeguard a smooth construction process but which result in buildings that are easy and cost effective to operate once complete.
One’s portfolio includes a diverse mix of projects including St Catherine’s Health Centre in Birkenhead, The Peirson Student Advice and Guidance Centre at the University of Worcester and The Wave Hotel and Apartments at Butlins, Bognor Regis. For more information, visit www.oneltd.com
• Galliford Try - Galliford Try plc is a leading UK housebuilding and construction group with a turnover of £1.5bn. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and a member of the FTSE 250. The housebuilding business – through its Linden Homes brand – sells distinctive homes to the public and affordable homes to housing associations and local authority providers across the South and South East of England. The construction business carries out building and infrastructure work across the UK with clients ranging from major Government departments through to regulated utilities and private sector companies
Recent projects in the Midlands include The Hive library and cultural centre in Worcester, the new stand at Edgbaston Cricket Ground and Hotel La Tour in Birmingham. Galliford Try is also building the Resorts World complex at Birmingham NEC for Genting UK.
• Calthorpe Estates – is one of the UK’s most forward-thinking and progressive property investment and development companies. The Calthorpe Estates team is responsible for delivering a multi-million pound regeneration portfolio, including retail and leisure, office and medical developments.
The Estate covers 610 hectares in Edgbaston, less than a mile from Birmingham City Centre.
• About Community Health Partnerships and the LIFT Programme
Community Health Partnerships is owned by the Department of Health and is the national lead for the Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) programme. CHP has a 40% shareholding in Birmingham and Solihull LIFT Company; BaS LIFT. The LIFT programme continues to provide modern, purpose-built, clean and safe facilities for over 500 GP Practices, Pharmacies and a wide range of community and social care providers across England.For more information about Community Health Partnerships and LIFT please visit www.communityhealthpartnerships.co.uk
