Multi Utility Services Contractor Pulls Out All The Stops To Keep Housing Developer On Track

Careful coordination has enabled Crown Utilities and house builders Mansell to rescue an affordable housing project from delays arising from the failure of the original contractor. As the contractor for the unified installation of gas, water and electricity connections, Crown Utilities managed all utility processes so that the scheme went to plan and schedule.

The development in Greenbrook Street, Bury, comprises 26 houses and eight flats sold on a part ownership basis and marketed by Plumlife on behalf of the Great Places Housing Group. Continuity of electricity supply for the neighbourhood was essential so the first task for Crown Utilities was the installation, commissioning and making live of a new substation to give a 500KVA supply. At the same time a 30KVA landlord’s supply was installed and a redundant sub-station dismantled and removed.

Crown Utilities provided multi utility electricity, gas and water services in accordance with Plumlife’s plan for the release and sale of the properties. Installing utilities in this unified way made it possible to win back lost time. There were technical complications. Crews had to work around existing buried high and low voltage power cables, take services across roads and follow a plan for careful traffic management.

Andy Kay, joint managing director at Crown Utilities explained, “We were already the chosen utility infrastructure partner when Mansell’s took over the contract. Despite all the engineering complexity and site problems we were able to meet the challenges and help them pull the programme back to schedule. Following the success of Greenbrook Street, Mansell’s have placed more orders with us including the New Islington development in Manchester’s Ancoats area requiring multi-utility service connections to 18 properties.”

Crown Utilities is one of only a few contractors in the UK with MURS accreditation (Multi Utility Recognition Status) with all crews able to install gas, electricity and water in a single combined operation.