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Stephen J Pratten MRICS

Chartered Project Manager and Quantity Surveying Services

 

I offer Project Management, Commercial Management, Project Coordination, Employer's Agent, Quantity Surveying, Site Coordinator, Estate & Facility Management, and other associated professional services to Clients, Consultants, and Contactors.                        

Contact myself today to discuss how I may assist you with your project

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Introduction

Committed to Excellence

Following qualification as a quantity surveyor in 1978, I commenced my career in the construction industry working for several national contractors. Progressively over the next ten years, my responsibilities increased incrementally through promotions from assistant quantity surveyor to commercial director.

 

Seeking fresh challenges, I began my practice in 1989. Since that date, I have successfully provided senior roles to Clients / Employers (Public & Private), International Consultants (particularly Davis Langdon / Aecom)  and National Contactors. These senior-level roles have included  Project Management, Quantity Surveying, Project Coordinator, Employers Agent, Cost Consultant, Site Coordinator, Estate & Facility Management, and other associated professional services. I have been working primarily as a Project Manager since 1999 when SWRDA appointed me as their Project Manager for the Repair and Restoration of the Royal William Yard, Plymouth.

 

As a result of my experience, while working with Clients / Employers, Consultants, and Contactors, I have gained an appreciation from first-hand experience of the respective perspectives within the industry. As a consequence, I have a detailed awareness of how a project needs to be managed, including the potential risks, as well as appreciating and being able to influence the positive components, which lead to a successful Project 

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Practice Philosophy

Approach

 

My philosophy is that the success of a project requires the entire Project Team to work collaboratively as a cohesive unit. I believe that leading the Team with clarity, passion, professionalism, motivation, and enthusiasm are vital attributes to achieve the required goals.  I have developed a reputation with my Clients as a competent professional with the ability to deliver high profile complicated projects within time, budget, and to the required quality enabling the Clients’ expectations to be managed and fulfilled.

 

I work collaboratively with my Clients and the Professional Team, believing that leading from the front with clarity, passion and enthusiasm are vital key attributes to accomplish the desired results

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Professional Services

Professional Services include,

  • Project Management,

  • Contract Administration,

  • Employer's Agent,

  • Commercial Management,

  • Contract Management,

  • Change Management,

  • Planning,

  • Project Coordination,

  • Cost Consultant,

  • Quantity Surveying,

  • Estate & Facility Management                                                                                            

  • Asset Audits (MOD and associated establishments)

  • Bank monitoring and funding (application and drawdowns),

  • Budgetary control,

  • Claims and closing out associated negotiations,

  • Collaboration with stakeholders, project team and relevant Others

  • Cost management including cost control and reporting,

  • Expert Witness. Major and minor claims. Pre-litigation

  • Feasibility exercises

  • Legal assistance including research, reporting, and documentation. Major and minor cases

  • Operation coordination,

  • Negotiation,

  • Planning and organisation

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  • Procurement (including EU compliance), encompassing recommendations, re-forms of contract and professional appointments

  • Programming (MS Project),

  • Programme Management,

  • Project Execution Plan

  • Project planning/ programming,

  • Project reporting,

  • Regeneration,

  • Risk Management,

  • Safety compliance and observance,

  • Securing Best Value

  • Site Coordination,

  • Site safety 

  • Stakeholder management,

  • Sustainability, including BREEAM and CEEQUAL accreditations

  • Value Engineering,

  • Viability exercise

  • Other associated professional services to Clients / Employers, Consultants and Contactors.

 

I provide professional services across SW England and South Wales.

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Current and Recent Projects

Since 1989 I have provided consultancy services to a variety of Clients from the private, public and charitable sectors. With each project undertaken, the most important objective is to relate with Clients’ and understand their core necessities and goals.

 

The nature of the projects I have been involved with, particularly over the last twenty years, have been large, complex with multi-stakeholders and with sustainability as a key component. These projects included projects that were managed from concept to handover. Please see below examples.

Home: Projects
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   East Devon District Council             Relocation Project  (2012 -2020)

EDDC's Relocation project involved the Council moving from their existing Head Office at Knowle, Sidmouth (which was expensive to maintain, run and would have cost significant sums to fully repair and renovate) to a split-site solution of a new purpose-built office at Heathpark, Honiton and refurbished offices at Exmouth Town Hall.

The objective of the Office Relocation Project was to create modern, more modestly scaled, attractive, efficient, principally open-plan offices. The design of the buildings allows for collaborative and connected working,  improved accessibility with efficient and flexible use of space with functionality and flexibility for the future, and has enabled operating costs to be minimised. This has allowed the Council, tenants, and users to carry out their business in an efficient, economical, and practical manner. The new-build office at Honiton, Blackdown House, has achieved a reduction of Annual Running Costs of 32%, including a decrease in Utility costs of 44%. There has also been a 52% reduction in carbon emissions. Blackdown House has also achieved BREEAM Very Good accreditation.

The new offices in association with the Council's Worksmart programme has enabled the maximised use of the latest technology and modern working practices.  

Responsibilities and services provided include.

 

  • Full Project management coordination services

  • Investigation of differing locations for EDDC’s new HQ within the District, including instructing Red Book Valuations and formal advisory reports and confirming recommendations

  • Managing procurement and the marketing exercises for the disposal of EDDC’s former HQ at Sidmouth and land elsewhere in the District.

  • Liaison with potential developers for the Council’s new HQ.

  • Reporting to Deputy CEO, Senior Officers, SMT, Elected Members, Project Boards and Council meetings on both a regular and ad hoc basis

  • Making recommendations on relevant method of procurement and of appropriate forms of contract pertinent to the numerous differing project packages

  • Procurement for Consultants, Contractors, and Suppliers using frameworks and open tendering. Preparation and submission of detailed tender reports, including recommendations.

  • Supervising the design processes. Identifying project scopes and briefs, including matters of sustainability and making formal recommendations.

  • Provision of reports to Senior Officers and Project Boards for approval and sign off.

  • Chairing regular design team meetings, monitoring design progress, checking costs against budget and organising and approving value engineering. Provision of associated minutes.

  • Responsibility of the Project Risk Register, including regular updating and chairing frequent Risk Workshops

  • Providing monthly Project Reports advising on progress, costs, programme, quality, risks and potential matters of mitigation

  • Preparation and maintaining project master programme from concept to completion, including recording principal activities and identification of critical dates

  • Directing EDDC Facility Managers and other relevant Officers associated with the project, including during the client fit-out works

  • Established the project change control process for the Council

  • Coordinating with EDDC’s IT consultant in ensuring smooth integration of IT / AV systems into the project works

  • Overseeing the construction process, including acting as the NEC 3 Contract Administrator. Chairing regular progress meetings and providing minutes

  • Obtaining detailed programmes from the contractor for the works and monitoring actual vs planned progress

  • Checking compliance of designs and specifications with agreed requirements. Monitoring of standards of workmanship and materials

  • Site visits to inspect generally the progress of the works and to identify matters of non-compliance and risk, including programme risk

  • Monitoring progress, responses, performance, etc., to ensure timely action and mitigate issues for the Council. Distribute information

  • Coordination and assistance with the preparation of defects schedules. Formal issue of documents. Review and clearance of defects.

  • Consideration of the validity of Contractor and Consultant claims both for extension of time and financial. Evaluate claims, including closing out of associated negotiations.

  • Negotiation of Final Accounts

  • Overseeing in-house Fit Out and FF&E procurement and installation, and decanting from existing office to new premises

  • Liaison with other external consultants and legal advisors

  • Assisting and providing input to formal Council Reports including those for Council, Cabinet, Committees and ad hoc.

  • Provision of information and associated responses to FOIs and requests from the Press and Public

  • Preparation, presentation and negotiation of Capital bids.

 

The Relocation project achieved the following key deliverables.

 

  • BREEAM Very Good accreditation,

  • A reduction of Annual Running Costs of 32%, including a decrease in Utility costs of 44%,

  • 52% reduction in carbon emissions

The project was completed within budget, of the required quality and programme.

Following the successful conclusion of the EDDC Relocation Project, I have continued to provide Consultancy Services to EDDC's Property Estate and Facility Management Portfolio since June 2020.

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              University of Exeter                               

Forum Project (2010 - 2012)

The Forum Project is situated in the central campus area of the University of Exeter’s Streatham Campus, framed by Devonshire House, the Great Hall, and Northcote House. 

 

The project comprised of three main components:

 

Forum Building –  a distinctive landmark building, which is the focus at the heart of the University campus. It is the primary component of the project in terms of function, scale, and value.  This new build element creates an enclosed link between the Main Library and Devonshire House, accommodating new learning and teaching spaces, student support services, and new catering and retail outlets, all centred on an impressive full height open space with a strong and identifiable sense of place.

 

University Reception – is a separate building, which is a highly visible reception for visitors to the University.  It creates a main entrance to the Great Hall (for functions and events) and Northcote House.

 

Plaza – provides a new hard landscaped area linking the University Reception and Northcott Theatre to the Forum and  INTO Buildings and visitor car park.

 

The Project also included the following secondary elements including the creation of new and discrete service access to Devonshire House and the Forum building, the stopping off the top of Stocker Road, major reconfiguration, and refurbishment of the Main Library, some reconfiguration and refurbishment within Devonshire House.

The Exeter University Forum Project achieved BREEAM Excellent accreditation.

Project management services included NEC 3 Contract Administration as well as general and extraordinary PM duties

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      Bath & North East Somerset                              Combe Down Stone Mines - Bat Mitigation

Works at Grey Gables (2005 - 2009)

The Combe Down Stone Mines Project helped to save over 700 houses that had been built over shallow mine workings that had become unstable. The solution to the problem, which was developed from innovative solutions, resulted in the mass use of foamed concrete which enveloped structural chambers engineered to maintain a habitat for bats that lived in the mines.

The Bat Mitigation Works at Grey Gables and Mount Pleasant included the construction of a cut and cover tunnel excavated through solid (unmined) limestone rock that connected the Mount Pleasant Mine and Grey Gables Mines, below the Oldfield Rugby Club sports field. The cut and cover tunnel included short mined sections at either end, connecting the cut and cover tunnel to the mines A new ventilation shaft was also formed at the northwest extremity of the Grey Gables mine. This involved the construction of a 2.5 m diameter shaft followed by mining a connection through into the Grey Gables mine void.

 

Project management services included NEC 3 Contract Administration as well as general and extraordinary PM duties

 

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South West of England Regional Development Agency

Royal William Yard, Plymouth (1999 - 2010)

The Royal William Yard, Plymouth is a former naval victualling yard dating from 1834 being designed and built by Sir John Rennie.

SWRDA commissioned the restoration works which required the research, investigation, design, and carrying out the conservation work to the buildings in the Yard which at the start of the process had been identified as a Scheduled Monument, later being recategorized as Grade 1 Listed. The brief covered repairs to the main envelope as well as internal structural repairs and required the repaired elements to have a longevity of 70 years other than simple maintenance.

 

Project management services included Contract Administration using a bespoke form of contract, funding applications and drawdowns, feasibility and viability exercises and reviews, Contractor procurement,

PROJECT PORTFOLIO

Infrastructure & Civil Engineering

  • Hengrove Park, Phase 1, Bristol – achieved CEEQAL Excellent

  • Royal William Yard, Plymouth

  • Batheaston By-Pass, Bath

  • Weymouth Seafront Regeneration Scheme – Assistance with funding  application with Weymouth and Portland Borough Council

  • Temple Quay Phase 3 - including proposals and Master planning for Bristol Arena

  • Combe Down Stone Mines – mine stabilisation & bat mitigation works

  • Station Regeneration Projects, UK wide

  • New Fire Station, Bristol Airport

Education

  • Forum Project, University of Exeter – achieved BREEAM Excellent

  • FX Plus, Summer Works

  • Whitefield’s Senior School, Bristol.

  • King Edwards School, Bath

  • Hartcliffe Special School, Bristol

  • Exeter Scholl, Public Realm and Admission Building Extension

Office

  • Office Accommodation Project, East Devon District Council – Project Managing feasibility exercises, site selections viability reviews, design, construction, fit out. Project achieved BREEAM Very Good.

  • ICL Building, Bristol

  • Head office building for ARC, Chipping Sodbury - including decanting Client from existing premises

  • Seven storey offices, Cwmbran

  • Bank of England, Gloucester

  • South West Film and Television Archive - RWY – Project Managing the refurbishment of their new premises and the relocation of over a million tines of film slides and tapes)

Retail

  • Fit-out of J. Sainsbury stores in Bristol & Cwmbran

  • Out of Town Retail Shopping Centre, Weston Super Mare – Shell and core, Fit-Outs

  • Shop and office development, Shaw Village, Swindon

  • New build and refurbishment of premises for retail garage developments, fast track – Nissan UK

  • Numerous retail and speculative warehouse developments, nationally

  • Fit-out and completion work to the Galleries, Bristol (overall £72m)

  • Project Auckland – Bristol Airport

Industrial, Food and Scientific

  • Rodda Creamery, Scorrier, Redruth

  • Biomet, Swindon

  • Nestle, Trowbridge

  • Courage, Bristol

  • Watts Industrial Tyres, Lydney

  • Water Research Centre, Swindon

  • Norman Lockyer Observatory, Sidmouth

Sport and Leisure

  • Coral Reef, Bracknell

  • Indoor Tennis Centre, Newport

  • Gymnasium, King Edwards School, Bath

  • New Theatre & Classrooms, Millfield School, Somerset

  • Everyman Theatre Cheltenham

  • National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth

  • TR2, Theatre Royal, Plymouth

  • Bristol Theatre Royal

  • Seaton Town Football Club.

  • Exmouth Pavilion

Housing

  • Guinness Trust, Devizes

  • Knightstone Housing Association – numerous Projects across SW England

  • Littlemore Estate, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council

  • Weston super Mare Town Council - Refurbishment of low and high rise accommodation

  • Gloucester City Council and Bristol City Council - Refurbishment of high-rise accommodation

  • New Cavendish Estates - Northwick Park, Blockley

  • Exeter City Living - Belle Isle and Glasshouse Lane schemes

Healthcare

  • Neville Hall Hospital, Abergavenny

  • Harcombe House, Chudleigh

Historical

  • Royal William Yard, Plymouth – Repair and renovation works, including making the buildings watertight and other necessary works so that no further major maintenance works would be necessary for 70 years

  • Bristol Old Vic feasibility and viability studies

  • Amberley Castle, Repair and Restoration

Legal / Expert Witness

  • Courtlands, Penzance – Dispute in respect of Mundic concrete

  • The Galleries, Broadmead, Bristol – Major litigation between Norwich Union and Tarmac. 

  • Expert Witness, research and preparation of narrative for numerous allegations and evaluation of financial consequences.

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Public

  • Preparation of Baseline Document, Programmes and Feasibility Studies for Bristol 2000 and Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (£5 m Millennium Scheme)

  • Consultancy advisory role for Property & FM Team, East Devon District Council

Ministry of Defence / Police / Home Office

  • Establishment Maintenance reviews of MOD establishments, nationally

  • GCHQ, Cheltenham

  • Reading Police Station Bank of England, Gloucester

  • Chippenham Police Station

Contact 

Contact me and find how my services can benefit your company.

Stephen J Pratten MRICS
Badgers Close,
Whitegate, Forton,
Chard,
Somerset.
TA20 4HQ

Tel : 01460 220 415 - Mobile : 07836 575 080

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