An Officer Key Decision is to be made regarding the contract for the refurbishment of Lady Helen Seymour House, which will be transformed into a 42-bed Rough Sleepers Assessment Centre. The decision will be subject to a call-in period.

Lady Helen Seymour House Rough Sleeping Assessment Centre - Contract Award for Refurbishment Works

Details are to be confirmed regarding the award of a second stage JCT Design and Build Contract to Buxton Building Contractors Limited for the internal and external refurbishment works at Lady Helen Seymour House. The proposed contract value is £9,501,427. This decision is to be made by Caroline Holland, the Section 151 Officer, who has delegated authority to make such decisions.

The refurbishment of Lady Helen Seymour House, a former maternity hospital located on Florence Road, Plaistow, E13 0DW, is intended to create a 42-bed assessment centre for individuals experiencing homelessness. The centre is planned to provide a supportive environment with on-site facilities including a training kitchen, laundry room, and a medical suite offering mental health and substance misuse support.

In line with Newham's Just Transition Plan, the building is to be made more carbon neutral through measures such as the removal of gas supply in favour of electricity and solar panels, the installation of air source heat pumps, and improved thermal insulation with new windows and external doors.

Buxton Building Contractors Limited had previously been awarded a Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) in October 2025. The total project budget, including acquisition costs, is £10,965,117, funded by a combination of Newham Council's capital contribution (£3.240M), Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding (£0.500M), Greater London Authority (GLA) and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP) grant (£6.203M), GLA top-up funding (£0.523M), and Carbon Offset Funding (£0.500M).

The final contract sum of £9,501,427 represents an increase of £1.305M compared to the council's original estimate. This increase is attributed to additional works required, including lowering the ground floor, upgrading the lift specifications, meeting revised planning requirements for window finishes, achieving specified carbon efficiencies, installing cooling systems, upgrading building finishes, and improving circulation. The contract sum includes £0.750M in provisional sums and a client contingency of £0.845M.

It is proposed that the decision to award the contract be made to avoid project delays and the risk of losing external funding. Alternative options, such as doing nothing or re-tendering the works, were considered and rejected due to the potential for further delays and the impact on grant funding. The stage-2 proposals and costs from Buxton Building Contractors Limited are to be assessed and deemed to represent the best value for the Council.

The project aligns with several council policies and priorities, including the Building a Fairer Newham Corporate Plan 2022-2026 (Priority 1: A healthier Newham and ageing well; Priority 5: Homes for our Residents), the 50 Steps to a Healthier Newham (Priority 11: Building a Borough of Health and Promoting Housing), and the Homelessness and Rough Sleepers Strategy (Priority 3: Support people to move off and stay off the streets). It also supports the Climate Action Just Transition Plan's principles of increasing equity, reducing emissions, and future readiness.

The decision is subject to a call-in period, meaning it cannot be implemented until the sixth working day following the date of publication, allowing members to request a review.