Freshfields has advised the Ministry of Defence on an amendment to the 35 year Project Allenby/Connaught contract

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (‘Freshfields’) has advised the Ministry of Defence (‘MOD’) on an amendment to the 35 year Project Allenby/Connaught contract, the largest accommodation Private Finance Initiative the MOD has undertaken. The amendment, worth over £1.1bn, will provide new-build single living accommodation for soldiers, as well as new and improved technical, office, catering, retail and leisure facilities under the Army Basing Programme. Enabling works are already underway and service personnel and their families will arrive in 2019.

The Army Basing Programme, which is jointly managed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation and the British Army, involves a series of unit moves and re-roles within the UK, and the return and resettlement of personnel from Germany in 2019.

Project Allenby/Connaught, which had an original approximate value of £8bn, seeks to provide living and working accommodation for British Army personnel. Freshfields previously advised the MOD on the original Project Allenby/Connaught transaction, which was signed in 2006. This amendment has been negotiated with the various deal participants in order to ensure that the Army Basing Programme works could commence and the existing Project Allenby/Connaught could continue without disruption. 

The Freshfields team is being led by partner Alex Carver and of counsel Max Cairnduff with support from associate Eunah Shin.  The team was previously led by partner Nick Bliss before his retirement from the firm earlier this year.