Three of the UK’s leading construction companies have been chosen to create Public Health England’s new state-of-the-art public health science campus and headquarters at Harlow in Essex.

They have been selected to deliver the four key elements of the £400m capital spend programme to create the campus, including the building and refurbishment of new and existing laboratories and office areas along with construction of a new arrivals area and logistics centre and site-wide infrastructure including car parking.

The appointments, which will create thousands of construction-related jobs, bring to an end an 18-month procurement process, with the companies expected to start work next month.

The build comprises four lots, of which Wates Construction has been appointed to deliver two. The refurbishment of the main building which includes laboratories & offices, as well as the arrivals, administration and logistics buildings.

The next steps will see the contractors working with the existing design teams and then preparing the site for major construction, which is planned to start in 2019 with phased occupation starting in 2021.

PHE Harlow, as the campus will be known, is expected to employ up to 2,750 people by 2024, with scope for further expansion.

Facilities from Porton in Wiltshire and Colindale in north London, as well as PHE’s central London headquarters will be relocated to the single centre of excellence for public health research, health improvement and protection.

The campus is critical to the future of PHE, ensuring we will be able to use the latest scientific advances to deliver our world-leading science and evidence for issues such as smoking, alcohol, diabetes, dementia, infectious diseases, environmental hazards and climate change nationally and internationally.

PHE is delighted to have secured three of the leading construction companies in the UK to deliver what will be a world-leading national and international resource.

Much of the work to create PHE Harlow is highly specialised so it’s especially pleasing to have secured three of the best companies in their fields to deliver that work. This is yet another milestone for PHE and we can now look forward to the chosen contractors coming on board and bringing their considerable wealth of experience and skills to our programme.

We are also delighted at the very significant opportunities that the construction of PHE Harlow will offer in the surrounding area.”

– Richard Gleave, PHE Deputy Chief Executive

PHE Harlow will play a pivotal role in improving public health, providing state-of-the-art facilities for industry-leading scientists and doctors to address some of the most pressing medical and environmental challenges the world is currently facing.

It is therefore a particular privilege for Wates to be awarded two of the four lots. It is also a huge responsibility, and over the next year we will be working closely with PHE and other partners as we prepare to start on site in early 2019.”

– Ian Vickers, Managing Director, Wates Construction Home Counties