The Grenfell Inquiry highlighted the critical importance of fire safety in building materials, particularly cladding and the need for stringent regulatory compliance to prevent future tragedies.
The McConnell Group's refurbishment and retrofit projects incorporate cladding materials which meet the highest safety standards. Their projects, such as Peppermint Heights, Centrium & The Exchange, Newlife Apartments, and the Kaleidoscope Estate, involve extensive refurbishment works, including the removal of existing cladding and the installation of new, compliant materials.
Scope of work
MFMac has has been involved in reviewing, negotiating and agreeing the construction contracts for some of the McConnell Group's latest projects:
- Peppermint Heights, London, for Sovereign Network Group: Cladding & Fire remediation, roof renewal, and communal improvements, with a contract value of £11.75 million
- Centrium & The Exchange, Woking, for Barratt Redrow BSU: Cladding remediation, re-roofing and associated works with a contract value of £7.9 million
- Newlife Apartments, Northampton, for PA Housing Association: Cladding & Fire remediation, replacement windows, and associated works with a contract value of £18.5 million
- Kaleidoscope Estate, Cambridge, for Crest Nicholson: Cladding remediation with a contract value of £6 million.
These projects, all located in England, required careful consideration of the current regulatory environment and the English building safety regime and the contract reviews and negotiations have to strike a balance between the paramount objective of fire safety compliance and apportioning risk to the party who is best positioned to manage it. This has also given MFMac a valuable insight into the legislation which might ultimately come into force in Scotland.
Rob McGregor, Chairman of the McConnell Group, expressed his satisfaction with MFMac's services:
Very impressed with everyone we’ve been working with at MFMac. Not just in terms of their legal capability, but also with their people skills. You’ve managed to produce a customer service feeling I would associate with an extremely well-run hotel, where every member of the team is focussed on providing the guest with a great customer experience. I’ve not experienced that with a legal practice before.
