Multi-functional building in Spalding built with true commitment to the community

Led by South Holland District Council through the East Midlands Property Alliance (empa) a £5.75 million mixed-use building in Spalding, Lincolnshire has been built that uses local contractors, employs local people and ultimately benefits the local community.

Through the local recirculation of money it is estimated that the South Holland District has benefited by over £18 million.

A project through the East Midlands Property Alliance (empa) to refurbish the catering facilities and add a Food Technology extension to Woodstock Primary School in Leicester, successfully took place despite challenging circumstances and tight timescales.

In just sixteen weeks, Interserve Project Services Ltd completed the £421k project, upgrading two dining halls, a kitchen and serving area, as well as building a brand new food technology extension block measuring 25 square metres. For ten weeks of the project, the school was fully operational and the work completed without any disruption to the teaching staff and children.

Just two years after it was established East Midlands Property Alliance (empa) has already built itself a solid reputation for delivering results. Formed by Local Authorities in the East Midlands, empa's role is to improve the delivery of property services; providing guidance on best practice and efficiency savings.

After initially introducing the Framework contracting model to improve procurement and delivery of projects, empa has now developed a supply chain portal and programme management sofetware designed to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) develop, as well as boosting the local economy.

A project completed through an East Midlands Property Alliance (empa) framework; the Red Lion Quarter will be a vibrant building with many and varied uses. The key theme that it is a local project, managed by local people for the benefit of the local economy.

The ground floor provides 3 retail units, a food court, a training kitchen and a restaurant. It is intended that the retail space and food court will be taken by local producers and the products used in the restaurant.