New Government hub handed over by Wates in Edinburgh
New Government hub handed over by Wates in Edinburgh
Wates has successfully handed over ‘Queen Elizabeth House’ the new flagship UK Government hub in Edinburgh, to HMRC following a £23m CAT B fit-out project.
Last week, the Secretary of State for Scotland, Alister Jack, UK Government Ministers, Iain Stewart MP and David Duguid MP and Advocate General for Scotland, Richard Keen QC, visited the 18,000m2 complex, which will provide office accommodation for them and their staff alongside HMRC and a number of other Government departments. Representatives from the Wates project team, together with HMRC officials, joined the Ministers and Advocate General for a tour of the new building, which is located in the heart of the historic city.
Split across two buildings with a special link bridge to maximise the space available, the facility benefits from a complete internal fit-out to include new collaboration and meeting spaces, refreshment and kitchen areas as well as soundproof meeting rooms.
Work on the project began in July 2019 and despite the pressures provided by COVID-19 and having to significantly adapt the way the staff on site worked, the building was completed to a revised programme with minimal impact on time and on budget.
This is an amazing facility for the UK Government in Edinburgh, and a project we’re proud to have been involved in.
Work on this project was not always straightforward and continuing to deliver during the pandemic was a significant challenge, but for the team to be able to hand over the project despite these challenges is testament to their flexibility and professionalism.”
Scott Camp
Managing Director, Wates Smartspace
Wates has delivered an outstanding building with a real focus on quality, Health & Safety and sustainability throughout. The collaborative, team-oriented approach meant the focus on delivery was maintained safely, even when we were faced with a pandemic, a real credit to all those individuals involved.”
Stephen Reville
HMRC’s Locations Programme Assistant Director Delivery
