Facility in Gloucestershire will store 4,100-strong Army fleet ready for deployment
Skanska has won a £259m contract to build a storage facility for thousands of British Army vehicles. The Swedish multinational will deliver the Vehicle Storage Support Programme (VSSP) at Ashchurch, Tewkesbury, after being awarded the contract by the Ministry of Defence.
Procurement was organised through the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), with Mace also appointed to provide technical services.
While most of the Army’s fleet is either on operations or training for them, a significant part of it is stored centrally, ready for deployment when required.
Belinda Lunn, senior responsible owner for VSSP, said the project would “redevelop this centralised facility and deliver a modern, sustainable storage solution that ensures operational readiness of the Army’s vehicles by minimising the need for maintenance”.
Warren Webster, DIO’s programme director for Army major projects and programmes, said the project would “future-proof” the Army’s vehicle storage and maintenance.
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Demolitions will begin this September to enable the site’s regeneration, with construction expected to be fully complete by 2027. When complete, the Ashchurch site will provide controlled humidity environment storage for 4,100 vehicles.
Katy Dowding, executive vice president at Skanska, said: “We’re delighted to continue supporting modernisation of the defence estate following completion of Worthy Down in 2021.”
Skanska oversaw the development of Worthy Down in Winchester, a major DIO construction project with more than 26 buildings, including a flagship tri-service college.
Steve Holbrook, managing director for Skanska UK’s construction arm, added that the firm planned to make use of modern methods of construction on the Aschurch project to keep down carbon emissions.
The news comes alongside the announcement that Skanska’s chief financial officer and executive vice president, Kelly Gangotra, will be stepping down at the end of July.
According to the firm, Gangotra will join a company outside the sector and Skanska is currently searching for her replacement. A spokesperson thanked her for her “decade of service” to the firm.
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