No room at the inn
An interesting, potential Pandora’s box, request has been posed to me by the contractor I did my site placement with;
- What is the possibility of the MoD providing temporary or transit accommodation to the contracted workforce?
By way of background the site is a secure, MoD site, with years – possibly decades of upcoming works. Security caveats prevent non-UK or non-NATO Allied Nation citizens from accessing site, even if escorted. This can drastically reduce the availability of local workforce, especially Gen. Ops. This then coupled with the higher levels of QC and QA of the works it can mean that contractors have to be brought in from around the country and they need somewhere to stay.
Accommodation along the M4 corridor is notoriously expensive, and when considering the transient nature of work on site, landlords are reticent to take tenants who are unsure at the sign of lease how long they’ll be there for. It seems the industry standard response is hotels – but these come at a price, which is then in turn passed onto the Client, in the tenders.
One request was for the possibility for the Client, a subsidiary within the MoD, to provide some sort of accommodation. This then gives an assurance of accommodation costs and availability for contractor, and the Client then doesn’t get “stung” by hidden Operation costs. This wouldn’t be a case of using spare accommodation in Messes or SLA blocks (as if enough existed anyway!) but a contractor “village” of semi-permanent structures.
It does perhaps raise, at least at the start, more problems than it solves; Who pays all the costs? Who has overall management? How are rates set? Who has ultimate say over availability and will smaller subbies get muscled out? What if it starts to operate at a loss? Under CDM doesn’t welfare provision from Client end at the site gate? Plus many, many more.
I can’t think of any examples within the MoD where contractors are housed by the MoD – aside from on Operations or overseas exercises. Plus, it could set a dangerous precedent – will contractors now expect accommodation on secure sites? I believe other sites may have a similar context, perhaps the like of Hinkley and was curious what others have seen and their thoughts.
My gut feeling would be typically martial – “Suck it up/choose your trade/if you don’t like it sign off etc.” but wondered if there may be some logic here – maybe not 100% of the accommodation but perhaps enough so that projects aren’t adversely hampered by a lack of resource, owing to staff not having anywhere to stay? Or possibly, are contractors unfairly driving up the rental market in the local areas?
(Image from https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2021/05/12/cartoonists-take-housing-shortage/)
Holdfast Training Services Trial Blog 
Ali… not much to add bar the fact that accommodation provision is fairly common here in Australia on FIFO (fly in fly out) sites. These are usually modular, self-contained units (portacabin types)… so not completely out of the question.
I suspect this is more of a cultural/geographical nuance in Aus? With some sites being pretty disparate it would almost be a given that accommodation was part of the deal. From what I’ve heard about the Unions down there as well I would imagine that this is all pretty sacrosanct as well?
Site accomodation (offices etc) are a PC responsibility, provided to suit their needs, albeit that thee is often a contractual reuirment ot privde some office accomodation for the client team (espescially in highways works). I could see a contractor deciding to extend provision to living accomodation if the risk and reward balance was clear. I would then expect it to be a full design, build and operate with full FM contract let by the PC. If, however, there is no certainty of longterm need this is a risk that a PC will mitigate by allowing fully independent provision to take. Premier Inn does this as their line of business and gov.uk use hotels all the time for variable accomodation needs such as housing asylum seekers. I cannot imagine a routine situation whereby the business of providing accomodation would be allowed to obscure anyone’s primary business in MoD.
Bunkabins are fairly standard on long term civilian sites where accommodation is an issue…
Portable Accommodation, Housing and Toilet Units for hire – Bunkabin