The East Midlands Development Agency (emda) has signed a contract with Laing O'Rourke, which will see a contribution of £4.65 million made towards the company's multi-million pound remediation programme at Steetley, on the north Notts/Derbyshire border.

The new Steetley facility, which started on site in July, will be the most advanced of its type in the UK. Producing pre-cast components, Steetley is at the heart of Laing O'Rourke's commitment to increase the amount of modular components used on projects and through standardisation, contributes to the 'The Laing O'Rourke Way', a unique approach to project delivery. By reducing build times, costs and through the reduction in on-site labour, it also supports Incident and Injury Free (IIF) sites.


The facility will bring around 110 jobs during construction and up to 270 new skilled and semi-skilled jobs to a work-starved area.

emda is one of nine Regional Development Agencies in England, set up in 1999 to bring a regional focus to economic development.

The delivery of this new manufacturing facility has not only been supported by emda's funding, provided through the European Union approved 'Land Remediation Scheme', but also through the sale of some of the land required for the facility and a new access road.

Laing O'Rourke's Chief Operating Officer Tony Douglas said: "We are delighted to be working so collaboratively with emda and English Partnerships in delivering our shared goals of bringing sustainable regeneration to a part of the UK with such a proud industrial heritage."

(CD/JM)