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Wilson James, the company that runs the London Construction Consolidation Centre (LCCC), has increased the centre's client base by 200% in the past 18 months and plans to open an additional three consolidation centres over the next few years. Last summer, the firm was concerned that it might have to close the centre at its former Deptford location due to a "lack of interest from the building industry".

Gary Sullivan, MD of Wilson James, tells MT: "Eighteen months ago I was concerned we  wouldn't be able to change the construction industry's perception of consolidation centres. It took a little while for it to get into the consciousness of the construction firms, but now the big blue-chip contractors are all on board and realising it's the way forward."

This year the new site at Silvertown has been used by construction firm Skanska for the £1.2bn Barts Hospital project, along with contractors Bovis Lend Lease, Overbury, Mivan, Mag Hansen, Hall and Kay, Levolux and Gardners for various other projects. "As times are getting tougher, contractors are realising there are different ways to make savings and achieve efficiencies," says Sullivan. The LCCC, opened in October 2005, was initially launched as a two-year pilot project.

"It was a big risk to take on back then, but it has slowly developed and is now becoming a more popular concept, not just for large or complex construction projects, but for smaller projects too," says Sullivan. "I believe consolidation  centres are the way everyone will build in the future," adds Sullivan, and to back up this belief, he plans to open a further three centres around the M25 to create a "network of construction consolidation centres to service London".

He adds: "We need to find the right locations for the new centres, but want to be up and running ready for the drive out of the current downturn." Wilson James also plans to expand the existing LCCC's premises in the new year as several new orders that are in the pipeline come through.