Stockley wins Winter Gardens work

Blackpool Council has appointed the Manchester-based independent consulting engineers to the £25m restoration of the Winter Gardens.

In March last year, the council purchased the Winter Gardens, along with Blackpool Tower, Louis Tussauds and the Golden Mile Centre from Leisure Parcs using European and Government funding, bringing it into public ownership for the first time.

The first phase of works at the Grade 2 listed Winter Gardens building will repair Floral Hall and open up the facility for visitors all year round and restore the entrance on Church Street and Coronation Street.

Stockley has worked on projects in Manchester including Chips and Ancoats Public Realm as well as engineering the master plan and being lead consultant for New Islington Millennium Community.

Outside of Manchester, the consultancy worked on the recent redesign of the frontage to Liverpool Lime Street station.

The scoring criteria for the Winter Gardens contract award was weighted 40% on price, 50% on quality and 10% references.

Established in 1997, Stockley is based in Manchester's oldest surviving warehouse, Carver's Warehouse on Dale Street.

The company also has a London base which is used to help deliver projects in the south.

In April, Blackpool Council appointed contractors to handle the quantity surveying, contract administration and construction, design and management of the Winter Gardens project.

Baker Mallet in Whitehaven, Blackpool Council Capital Projects and Regeneration, Jacobs Engineering in Sale, Turner Townsend in Liverpool, and WT Partnership in Manchester were all successful in gaining work on the project with the local authority.

The value of the contract was not disclosed.