Balfour Beatty delivers ‘flood-protected’ unit

Balfour Beatty has completed construction of the new £10 million Women’s Low Secure Unit at Clifton House in North Yorkshire, part of the £4 billion, six-year ProCure21+ nationwide framework to deliver improved value for money in healthcare capital projects.

Built for Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, the new 22-bed state-of-the-art facility will ensure more women can receive specialist care closer to home.

The building is in close proximity to a flood storage area and required the construction of a special water-resistant wall to protect it should flooding occur. The 600mm high wall acts as a flood barrier, with all building services being kept above potential water levels.

Sustainability was key to Balfour Beatty’s successful delivery of the project which is the first unit of its kind to be built to BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standard. The environmental building rating was achieved in part through the reduction of surface water footprint to 30% less than on similar buildings, providing a ‘safe’ flood proofed area from which vulnerable service users can be evacuated.

The Considerate Constructors Scheme, which measures building projects’ impact on the local community, scored the project as 'Excellent' to 'Exceptional', in part for the project team’s support of local supply chain colleagues.

As well as providing a service for female patients, existing male users of the services at Clifton House will also benefit from a new activity centre with a gymnasium, a training centre with supervised IT access and a visitors' area.

Peter Commins, Balfour Beatty Managing Director for the North West and North Wales, said: “We are thrilled to have delivered the first facility of this kind in North Yorkshire. It will provide an invaluable service for the community and enable patients with mental health issues to remain close to friends and family members.”