Yorkshire construction specialist invests £7m in fleet as Covid testing sites demand doubles

A Yorkshire construction specialist has announced that it has invested £7m in its hire fleet as demand for modular Covid testing sites soars.

Premier Modular, which was initially commissioned to build 25 testing sites by the Department for Health and Social Care, is doubling the amount of sites to 50.

The investment in a larger fleet allows for a rapid response to requests for more testing sites.

Since the first project was delivered in Bolton, Premier has now set up standalone community testing sites in towns and cities across the country including Inverness, Leamington Spa, Dudley, Nottingham, Aylesbury, Buxton and Liverpool. The next batch of sites will be in Leeds, Redcar, Durham and Oadby in Leicestershire.

David Harris, managing director of Premier Modular, commented: “The work our teams have carried out across the country and round the clock has been phenomenal and has been very well received in those communities.

“Our colleagues continue to pull out all the stops in the factory and on site to set up the testing sites in just two to three days which really is an outstanding achievement given the bespoke nature of the buildings and the complexity of the site requirements.

“We are delighted this work has been recognised with the doubling of our contract to 50 sites.”

“Our teams remain totally committed to playing their part in the national effort to support the government in rapidly increasing Covid-19 testing capabilities.

“This is a vital initiative to help safeguard public health. This contract also demonstrates just how responsive modular construction can be when combined with strong project management and logistical operations to help the NHS respond to urgent local needs.”