April 2008 |
The agreement provides Oak with
a relationship with a major international building contractor
for the provision
of construction services associated with all aspects
of the YES! Project. As Oak's construction partner, Laing
O'Rourke will be integrated within the YES project team
at an early stage in order for the project to benefit
from their specialist construction advice and knowledge.
YES!, the leisure-based resort,
activity, sports and convention destination, is scheduled
to become the largest
covered leisure facility in Europe, following Oak's
announcement on 22 February 2008 that it had agreed project
terms
with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. The project,
which has planning consent for nearly 300,000 square
metres, sits on 327ha within 1.5km of Junction 31 of
the M1, and is expected to be in operation in 2011.
Chief Executive of Oak Holdings,
Steve Lewis said: 'The exciting developments announced
recently are the
fruits
of four and a half years' labour. We are now in a
position to move the scheme forward with certainty. To
secure
the services of Laing O'Rourke, with its exemplary
record for delivering high-profile schemes successfully
and
on time, is a major achievement for the project.
Laing O'Rourke is one of Europe's foremost construction
services
groups and it is championing the partnership approach
to major projects. We are very pleased to have them
as our partners.'
Mike Robins, Managing Director
for Construction Europe at Laing O'Rourke, welcomed today's
announcement.
He said: 'We are delighted to be involved with
such a
visionary project. The collaborative and inclusive
approach Oak
has adopted in its approach to all its consultants
and specialist partners accords with our ethos,
and we are
committed to supporting the project.'
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