The contract will see the company build a new 2,500sq m Democratic Centre for staff at Monmouthshire County Council, including a council chamber, offices for the council’s chief executive and facilities open for public access.

Situated on the Coleg Gwent campus in Usk, the project has involved collaboration between Monmouthshire County Council and Coleg Gwent to ensure both college and council can operate seamlessly from one location.

The new facilities are designed to achieve a BREEAM rating of Excellent and will promote sustainability in a number of ways such as use of biomass boilers, recycled water tanks and photo voltaic on the roof of the offices.

Neal Stephens, managing director of Willmott Dixon in Wales, said: “This is a fantastic project for Willmott Dixon to be a part of and one that marks the continuation of a relationship we formed with Monmouthshire County Council more than 12 years ago. There were a number of challenging factors which had to be taken into consideration during the planning stages of the project and we worked closely with Monmouthshire County Council and Coleg Gwent to ensure our vision for the site successfully met the needs of both parties.”

Work on site is beginning now with the aim of Monmouthshire Council being able to move into their new offices by March 2013. The project was designed by architects Powell Dobson. Willmott Dixon’s extensive portfolio of work on behalf of Monmouthshire County Council has included the recent construction of a new learning plaza at Castle Park Primary School in Caldicot.