SES Engineering Services has won a £3.1 million contract to help deliver a new student accommodation project in Durham.

The company will work with main contractor Bowmer and Kirkland on the £31 million conversion of the former County Hospital site on North Road.

The site is being transformed into a new pound 358-bed student accommodation facility on behalf of developer Peveril Securities. Features include converting the Harding Building, a listed Victorian structure, into 82 modern student studios. Two further buildings containing 276 student flats will also be developed.

SES will provide a complete range of mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) services, as well as installing CCTV, security and access controls and data services as well as building management systems. The project is scheduled to be finished by April 2018.

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Steve Joyce, SES' Business Director North, said: "We have an excellent track record for successfully delivering highly serviced buildings of this type and I am delighted to be adding to the list with this latest scheme. While on site we will face a number of challenges, particularly in relation to the spatial fit of the building services in the existing listed building.  However, we will overcome these while at the same time ensure our work is carried out in line with listed building guidelines.

"Regarding the new build phases, whilst I expect that they will be more straightforward they will still benefit from the same care and attention to detail as the main building, ensuring a consistently high level of building services are designed and installed across the whole site."

Neil Charlton, M&E Manager North East with Bowmer & Kirkland, said: "This major scheme involves the renovation of a landmark building in the city of Durham and construction of two new buildings – all of which present their own different challenges.

"We are working closely with SES and all our contractors to ensure each phase of construction is delivered on time, to budget and to our clients' utmost satisfaction."

(LM)