Severn Trent Water has officially opened a new base in the offices previously owned by controversial building firm Wrekin Construction.

The water company is now sharing the offices in Lamledge Lane, Shifnal, with contractors Enterprise and Mott MacDonald Bentley.

A total of 90 staff are in the offices which are now home to contractors and Severn Trent staff, all of whom are working on water and waste water projects due to be delivered before March 2015.

Seven Trent said the sharing of the premises was a new approach to delivering the water company’s five-year programme of schemes and repair and replacement projects, which are due to get under way in April.

Paul Goddard, Severn Trent’s commercial manager, purchasing and supply chain management, said: “This co-located, integrated design and build model is unusual in our industry and gives the supply chain stability.

“It also means that, as we have announced the contract awards to successful contractors well ahead of the new asset management period (AMP) that starts on April 1, that construction work can start from early April.

“We announced the contract awards at least a year ahead of the schedules we’ve used in previous AMPs.”

A Severn Trent spokesman said that the company’s new approach was already helping to reduce construction costs and improve the links across the supply chain.

More than 500 employees of Wrekin Construction lost their jobs last March when the firm went into administration with debts of more than £40 million.

By Simon Hardy