RAF Personnel to Benefit from New 50-bed SLA Accommodation at RAF Cosford
RAF Personnel to Benefit from New 50-bed SLA Accommodation at RAF Cosford
Construction has started on a new 50-bedroom Single Living Accommodation (SLA) block at RAF Cosford in Shropshire.
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) awarded a £12 million contract to Reds10 and the start of work was marked at a recent groundbreaking ceremony. The contract was awarded through the £1 billion Single Living Accommodation – Programmatic Approach framework alliance, which will see thousands of new bedspaces created for Armed Forces personnel.
The accommodation will provide 50 en-suite bedrooms, as well as kitchenettes, communal space, equipment storage and laundry facilities. Sustainability has been central in the design of the block, featuring air source heat pumps for heating and hot water, photovoltaic panels and a SMART building management system to ensure optimal efficiency. While the project will not be the new SLA common design, lessons will continue to be learned from this and other projects to ensure the needs of service personnel are met, while also aiming to achieve the requirements of the Government’s Net Zero Strategy.
This project will not only improve service life for personnel but will also benefit local businesses. Over £120,000 has already been spent with local suppliers and the project team will continue to maximise opportunities to support the local community as the project progresses.
The project is one of the first to be delivered under the £1 billion SLA Alliance, which will run for six years and will see 16,000 new bedspaces built. It forms part of wider plans to build or refurbish 40,000 SLA bedspaces over the next 10 years, improving living conditions for service personnel.
