Conway Mill Refurbishment

26 Jul 2010 - CPD acts as Client Advisor on the Conway Mill Regeneration Project

Conway Mill, an historic linen mill located in the Lower Falls area of West Belfast which operated as a flax spinning mill from the 1840s until the 1970s, is undergoing a major refurbishment.

The Conway Mill Preservation Trust (CMPT) secured grant funding totalling £5.4m from a variety of sources, including central and local government, to conserve the building for future generations and create work space for a number of creative industries, business/social enterprises and community groups. The mill was awarded ‘Grade B’ Listed Building status in 2000.

CPD is acting as Client Advisor on the project and is providing the Department for Social Development (DSD), the lead sponsor, with best practice advice on the application of NI Public Procurement Policy including the ‘Achieving Excellence in Construction’ initiative.

Following a successful OJEU competition H&J Martin Ltd were appointed to lead an integrated Design and Build team to deliver the project using an NEC3, Option ‘C’ contract. Client Advisory Branch 2 provided procurement advice to McAdam Design to secure the successful appointment. The refurbishment work started in March 2009 and is programmed for completion in October 2010.

To deliver quality conservation and to meet the exacting requirements of Heritage Lottery on the heritage aspects of the building, the contract documentation stipulated that the contractor prepared samples of the conservation work for acceptance by Heritage Lottery’s own technical advisors.

The work has been phased to facilitate the tenants' desire to remain in the complex during the refurbishment. ‘Phase 1’ refurbished the building known as the ‘Old Mill’ and was opened by the Social Development Minister, Margaret Ritchie, in January 2010.