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Phelan Construction Complete Project Management At Travelodge Essex based Phelan Construction has just completed a construction management project on the brand new Travelodge in Jackson Road, Clacton on Sea. The £3.75M contract was awarded to the Clacton based company after a direct approach from Phelan Construction to the developer. A tight time schedule left Phelan Construction with less than eight months to complete the work; starting on site on 5 January 2009 and handing over on 24 August.

Investment from Travelodge will boost the economy of Clacton and the region beyond. Andrew Crick, Clacton on Sea Travelodge’s Hotel Manager, said: “Clacton Travelodge is off to a flying start. Our reservations data shows this hotel is set to be one of our best performers this year. The new hotel has created 10 jobs in the community as well as an investment of £1.9M in to Clacton.”
 
In addition to the jobs created by the new 57-room hotel, the site has commercial retail units that offer further employment opportunities.  Local housing stock is improved and increased with 12 social housing apartments situated in an annexe to the hotel and 16 private residential apartments on the top 2 storeys of the main 5-storey building that will enjoy views out over the Essex coastline. Planners supported the development project from the outset, not least because the original building on the site had stood empty for a number of years.

The Clacton site forms part of Travelodge’s ambitious growth plans. The group is undertaking development at nine other sites, which when complete will create a total of 170 new jobs with an investment from the group of over £28 million. 

Keiran O’Phelan, Managing Director of Phelan Construction, explains that the project was not without its challenges: “We were required to extend the existing structures on the third and fifth floors, which required us to work at a significant height. The bathrooms in the Travelodge were prefabricated in the Czech Republic and installed as pods; this meant that we had to hoist them into the building through the external façade, which was a delicate operation.”

Construction work included removal and renewal of the entire façade of the existing building to give it a fresh, contemporary appearance.  Alan Cansell, Sales Manager at Phelan Construction said: “This project was far from straightforward but we were able to bring it in on time and on budget. We undertake construction projects all over the country but it’s very gratifying to work on something ‘close to home’ that will bring benefits to the local people and the area.”
 

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