The Millennium Village GMV has been a challenging project, with exemplar standards for innovation, sustainability and best practice. The lead developers are Countryside and Taylor Woodrow, in partnership with Moat Housing Group. Watts’ role has been to provide advice to Moat, whilst at the same time, integrating Moat Housing Group’s requirements into a rolling project process. Large scale projects of this type call for a range of skills. Conventionally, in a commercial project such as this, Watts’ role in advising a Registered Social Landlord (RSL) would be that of employer’s agent.

The Watts Group’s initial commission was to protect the interests of the Registered Social Landlord. Furthermore, Watts has continued to ensure that the RSL’s participation in the project is resistant to audit, that its profile in the project team remains high, and that its contribution to the project is supportive and valuable from beginning to end.

Throughout the GMV project, the Watts Group has adopted an intensive project management role. Our activities comprise the negotiation of the RSL’s legal interests in the project, the chairing of various technical and social innovation forums, and an active participation in the project process. ikon will carry the involvement forward in the future.