TClarke UK North delivers award-winning Durham Investigative Hub
Working with principal contractor Tilbury Douglas, TClarke’s Newcastle team has successfully completed the new Durham Investigative Hub – a state of the art 6,600m2 facility combining custody cells, office space, interview rooms, crime scene investigation facilities, evidence stores, virtual courts, CCTV, medical facilities and forensic examination rooms. This single modern facility centralises Durham Constabulary’s operations, improving evidence gathering, prisoner safety, force efficiency and the working environment for officers and staff.
Paul Hoy, Operations Director, TClarke Newcastle, explained the significance of the project.
“This is an ambitious, complex piece of high-quality public infrastructure that has been very well received by the end user. For TClarke in the North East of England, this is another powerful proof of our ability to deliver full building services in a challenging project. We have very much enjoyed collaborating with Tilbury Douglas and demonstrating the advantages of the TClarke way.
“The project is also highly significant for its award winning social impact. It is the first in the UK to implement the Blue Light Commercial Social Value Toolkit, achieving a remarkable social value return of over £25 million. The project has already earned recognition, winning the Constructing Excellence Award for Delivering Value and being shortlisted for the Procure Partnerships Framework National Project Excellence Awards in the Social Value category. Key social value outcomes include the creation of jobs through Durham Enable, 45 hours of career mentoring for unemployed individuals and the delivery of 778 apprenticeship weeks.
“Social value is now well established as a key outcome for major public construction projects and TClarke’s delivery of real high quality jobs and apprenticeships for local people – and our deep roots in our local communities mean we are very proud to have played our part to the full in the achievement of these levels of social impact.”
Group Chief Executive Mark Lawrence commended the Newcastle team which delivered the project:
“We have a very strong engineering team in Newcastle and their work on the Durham Investigative Hub, in collaboration with our new client in the region, Tilbury Douglas, is of strategic value to our business. Moreover, this is yet another major project where our engineers can work hard and deliver results with lasting value for their local community. This is a project we take great pride in.”