Henry Brothers, based in Magherafelt, has celebrated a topping out ceremony for its Beacon Barracks project in Staffordshire, providing new facilities for 280 (NATO) Signal Squadron.

As the only British Army unit permanently assigned to NATO, the Squadron will be moving from Dorset to its new home at Beacon Barracks near Stafford under the Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) Army Programme.

Henry Brothers has been appointed to build a new £22.5 million two-storey facility for the Squadron within a secure compound at Beacon Barracks. It includes offices, conference rooms, a reception area, workshops, garaging, storage rooms, welfare facilities and mechanical and electrical plant rooms, and will feature solar panels on the roof.

A single-storey satellite communications building is also being delivered by Henry Brothers as part of the development for the Squadron, which, as a Deployable Communication Module, has a role to install and control strategic communication and information systems supporting a deployed NATO headquarters.

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Representatives from NATO, 280 (NATO) Signal Squadron, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), Beacon Barracks, Henry Brothers, project manager Mott MacDonald and multi-disciplinary design consultants Pick Everard attended the topping out ceremony.

Managing Director of Henry Brothers Construction, Ian Taylor, said:

"We are very pleased to see this significant milestone being reached on the new facility that Henry Brothers Construction is delivering at Beacon Barracks for 280 (NATO) Signal Squadron. The squadron plays an important role in NATO, and we are proud to support our armed forces.

"Henry Brothers has worked in partnership with the Ministry of Defence and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation to deliver many improvements and new developments over the years. It’s great to see one of our current projects proceeding well and on track for completion next year, providing 280 (NATO) Signal Squadron with a new base to relocate to from Dorset."

Henry Brothers is delivering the project for the DIO through the Crown Commercial Service Framework, aiming for Defence Related Environmental Assessment Method (DREAM) Excellent status. Completion is expected in early 2025. Other members of the team working alongside Henry Brothers on the project include Pick Everard and Mott MacDonald.

As a member of The Henry Group, Henry Brothers Construction operates alongside various manufacturing and construction sector firms, covering a wide spectrum from external construction to interior fit-out services. In partnership with its valued clients, it has a proven track record in education, defence, commercial, industrial, transport and healthcare sectors.