Award

Lexden Gardens (former Essex County Hospital) Phase 3 Development

ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 7 releases in its history.

Award

02 Mar 2026 at 12:25

TenderUpdate

30 Sep 2025 at 13:36

Tender

26 Aug 2025 at 09:22

PlanningUpdate

30 Jul 2025 at 08:01

PlanningUpdate

30 Jul 2025 at 07:59

Planning

16 Apr 2025 at 14:42

Planning

16 Apr 2025 at 13:44

Summary of the contracting process

Essex County Council, acting on behalf of Essex Housing LLP, has completed the award stage for the procurement titled "Lexden Gardens (former Essex County Hospital) Phase 3 Development" in the construction sector. The project entails refurbishment and construction works at the site in Colchester, Essex, aimed at delivering 29 new homes including townhouses and flats, alongside extensive exterior and service works. The procurement process followed an open procedure and culminated with an award notice on 2nd March 2026. Key parties involved include Essex Housing, the buyer, Potter Raper Ltd as the Employer's Agent, and Gipping Construction Limited, the chosen supplier. The contract commencement is scheduled for 2nd June 2026, with the project slated to conclude by the end of 2027.

This tender offers significant business growth opportunities, especially for companies within the construction industry that specialise in housing developments and renovations. Large construction enterprises and SMEs alike can benefit from the extensive work required, from the refurbishment of existing buildings to new construction. With Essex Housing LLP overseeing a vast programme of homebuilding across Essex, successful cooperation could lead to future contracts, thus proving advantageous for businesses looking to expand their portfolios. Experienced contractors in residential projects are well-suited to compete, especially those capable of managing phase sharing and complex constructions in politically nuanced environments.

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Notice Title

Lexden Gardens (former Essex County Hospital) Phase 3 Development

Notice Description

Essex County Council is procuring on behalf of Essex Housing LLP, for a Principal Contractor to deliver Phase 3 Construction works at Lexden Gardens Housing Development site, through an Open Tender Sourcing Procedure. The resulting contract will sit between Essex Housing LLP and the successful Bidder. The proposed works will be the refurbishment, alteration, and extension works to three blocks at the former Essex County Hospital site (Lexden Road, Colchester, Essex, CO3 3NB), to provide 8nr new homes (6nr flats and 2nr houses), and the construction of 21nr new build townhouses, including associated external works, drainage, and services. Furthermore, external facade works to the nurses block on the site will be included in this construction project. Phase 1 construction works is already underway with an existing incumbent contractor, so some site sharing is envisaged through the contract period. The construction period is anticipated to take 21 months (which includes a 3-month mobilisation period). The defects period is an additional term; further details are provided in the tender pack. The project is currently at RIBA stage 4. Potter Raper Ltd are Essex Housing's nominated Employer's Agent and Principal Designer. The successful bidder will be expected to work alongside Essex Housing, Essex County Council and Potter Raper, in the successful delivery of this project.

Planning Information

The Market Engagement Information Pack is available on the Proactis ProContract web portal. Interested parties are invited to download and engage with this Preliminary Market Engagement by: 1. Go to: https://procontract.due-north.com/Opportunities 2. Search for Essex County Council from the organisation list 3. Search for Project ref: DN771864 or title "EHDLLP_PL0100 - Lexden Gardens (former Essex County Hospital) Phase 3 Development" 4. Select "express interest" in this opportunity 5. Download the Market Engagement Information Pack and complete the attached questionnaire by the deadline date. The deadline for responses is Monday 5th May 2025. Important information: This notice is not a call for competition to procure any works or services and is not published to reduce time limited for the receipt of tenders. Interested parties will not be prejudiced by any response or (lack) to this notice. Nor shall a response to this notice guarantee an invitation to participate a future procurement process that Essex County Council may conduct. The Council may at its sole discretion hold further conversations with individual organisations. Essex County Council is not liable for any costs, fees or expenses incurred by any party responding to this notice or any party who may participate in the market consultation exercise. Please direct all queries through the ProContract messaging function. Anyone contacting the Council directly via email will be directed to the portal for communications. A registered supplier account is needed to access information, but registration is free of charge. The Proactis supplier helpdesk (https://www.proactis.com/uk/support-login/support/) can help with registration queries. Please direct any technical queries to the helpdesk in the first instance, selecting the Supplier Support option on the home page.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-050428
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/018393-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Works
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

45 - Construction work


CPV Codes

45000000 - Construction work

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£14,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
£14,000,000 £10M-£100M
Awards Value
£11,853,695 £10M-£100M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
2 Mar 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
19 Nov 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
26 Aug 2025Expired
Award Date
27 Feb 20261 months ago
Contract Period
1 Jun 2026 - 31 Dec 2027 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
CHELMSFORD
Postcode
CM1 1QH
Post Town
Chelmsford
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH3 Essex
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH36 Heart of Essex
Delivery Location
TLH3 Essex

Local Authority
Chelmsford
Electoral Ward
Moulsham and Central
Westminster Constituency
Chelmsford

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

GIPPING CONSTRUCTION

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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                    "datePublished": "2026-03-02T12:25:29Z",
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            "assessmentSummariesDateSent": "2026-03-02T00:00:00Z",
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}