黑洞社区

The company that will build a new London head office for Lebanon-based consultant Dar has said it is setting up a team to win more public sector work as Brexit looms over the industry.

McLaren will start work on the 拢80m scheme in High Holborn by the middle of this year once demolition contractor John F Hunt completes work tearing down the existing buildings at the site, a stone鈥檚 throw away from the headquarters of supermarket firm Sainsbury鈥檚.

The London-based contractor reported a hike in profit to 拢3.6m for the year ending  July 2018, despite turnover dipping 3% to 拢586m.

And it said it had so far experienced 鈥渘o discernible slowdown鈥�in either business or enquiries鈥� since the Brexit vote.

But the firm, which has been working on a 拢35m mixed-use scheme by architect AHMM to turn the former London headquarters of the Guardian newspaper in Farringdon into offices (pictured), admitted: 鈥淭he construction industry may be affected by a decline in the economy and uncertainty around Brexit.鈥�

As a result, the group said it was diversifying into new markets and is 鈥渓ooking to expand significantly鈥� its UK public sector work.

McLaren added it was setting up a new team in order to develop local authority relationships and work on bidding for frameworks and development opportunities.

Last month it was one of three firms to win a spot on a framework in east London for Barking and Dagenham council鈥檚 regeneration company Be First.

The first job on this framework, known as Lot 2, will be carried out by McLaren and is a scheme to turn a rundown 1960s office block on Barking鈥檚 Cambridge Road called Crown House into a residential development of nearly 400 flats.