Lagan Group has marked the end of a long-standing contract that outsourced the operation of wastewater treatment facilities at Kinnegar, Holywood in County Down for the past 25 years.

The contract which was undertook through the UK government's Private Finance Initiative (PFI) was awarded back in April 1999 when sewage services were provided by the Department of Environment. The agreement ended on 30 April 2024, when the current operator Lagan MEICA ltd, part of the Lagan Specialist Construction Group (SCG) handed the keys over to NI Water's Head of Public Private Partnerships, Ciaran Crozier.

The original Kinnegar Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW), established in 1964, underwent a substantial £11m renovation in 1999 courtesy of the contracting consortium led by Lagan and Hyder plc. Lagan was responsible for operating the facility for the duration of the 25-year contract. Serving the needs of East Belfast, the Airport Road West Commercial area and Holywood town, the works efficiently treats wastewater from these regions.

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Ciaran Crozier, NI Water’s Head of Public Private Partnerships said: "Whilst we are appreciative of the services provided by Lagan SCG and their partners over the past 25 years, we are delighted to bring these assets back in under the direct management of NI Water, as we plan to substantially reinvest in the future of wastewater treatment in the area."

On behalf of Lagan SCG, Neil McKenzie added: "We are delighted to have successfully completed this contract with NI Water, the first ever Private Finance contact of its kind in Northern Ireland when it was awarded back in 1999. The expiry of this contract in April 2024 concludes an invaluable operations and maintenance experience for Lagan, bolstered by an excellent relationship with NI Water’s PPP team."

The essential upgrade, a component of the Living With Water in Belfast Plan, aims to modernise this crucial NI Water asset. This initiative will improve environmental protection significantly and foster growth and prosperity in the Holywood area.

An integrated team – comprising Farrans Construction, TES-CAW and AECOM – has been working collaboratively with NI Water and their project management team from RPS, under an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) appointment, to progress the designs for the Kinnegar site.