GSM Workshop and Machinery Storage Project – GSMWMSP
1. Project Overview
Billing Parish Council invites tenders from suitably qualified and experienced contractors for the design, manufacturing and delivery of two bespoke, made‑to‑measure buildings: an insulated garden workshop suitable for year‑round use and a garden machinery storage building designed to accommodate heavy landscaping equipment. Both buildings must be secure, durable, fully weatherproof and suitable for long‑term operational use.
2. Scope of Requirement
The successful contractor shall be responsible for mandatory site attendance, final design confirmation, manufacture and supply (kit form acceptable), delivery to site, and the provision of all drawings, certifications and warranties.
3. Site Location
Bernard Weston Pavilion
Off Penfold Lane
Great Billing
Northampton
NN3 9EF
4. Mandatory Site Visit
All tenderers must attend a site visit with the Billing Parish Council’s Green Space Manager, Paul Marks, to review access, ground conditions, layout constraints and operational requirements. The site visit must be arranged in advance directly with the Green Space Manager using the contact details below. Failure to attend will result in the tender being deemed non‑compliant.
Green Space Manager contact details:
Email: greenspacemanager@billing-pc.gov.uk
Telephone: 07725 856784
5. Building Sizes and Arrangement
Workshop building: 6.0 m x 4.0 m internal. Machinery storage building: 8.0 m x 4.5 m internal. Buildings shall be arranged broadly in line with the indicative site footprint and associated hard standing. Layout drawings must be submitted with the tender.
6. Building-Specific Requirements
| Building 1 – Insulated Garden Workshop | Building 2 – Garden Machinery Storage | |
| Primary use | Year‑round workshop | Storage and movement of landscaping machinery |
| Internal dimensions | 6.0 m x 4.0 m | 8.0 m x 4.5 m |
| Doors | 1 x main entrance door (half‑glazed or solid) | 1 x main entrance door, plus 1 x double machinery door (min. 3 m clear opening to ramp) |
| Windows | 1–2 double glazed windows | Not required unless proposed |
| Internal linings | OSB walls, ceilings and floor | OSB walls/ceilings; heavy‑duty water‑resistant flooring |
| Electrical provision | Consumer unit, 6 x double sockets, 2 x LED lights, 1 x external PIR light | Lighting and power appropriate to use |
| Ventilation | Trickle vents and extractor fan | Passive ventilation |
7. Foundations and Base
A ground screw foundation system is the preferred solution, subject to ground conditions and site constraints. Where ground screws are not feasible, a concrete slab will be provided by the Contracting Authority. Concrete slabs will be constructed to a minimum thickness of 100–150 mm with steel mesh reinforcement, laid over a damp proof membrane (DPM) and finished to a level tolerance of ±5 mm across the full footprint. Tenderers must clearly state any assumptions made.
8. Structural Frame
Buildings should be of timber frame construction using pressure‑treated structural timber of minimum C24 grade. Stud walls shall be a minimum of 100 mm depth. Roof structures shall consist of timber rafters sized to meet the imposed wind and snow loads for UK climatic conditions. All internal timber shall be treated to UC2 standard, and all external facing timber treated to UC3B standard. Where oriented strand board is used, it shall be OSB/3 grade.
9. External Cladding
External cladding should be either Western Red Cedar or a low‑maintenance composite alternative. All cladding should be fixed using stainless steel or appropriately coated exterior‑grade fixings and installed over a breathable weatherproof membrane.
10. Roofing
Roofing ideally should be a single‑piece EPDM membrane or equivalent high‑quality felt‑free system with a minimum fall of 1:40 to ensure effective water runoff. Fascias and soffits should be UPVC or treated timber. Integrated guttering and downpipes need to be fitted to allow water to discharge into a water butt. The roof system must carry a minimum 10‑year guarantee.
11. Insulation and Thermal Performance
Insulation is needed in the Garden Workshop only.
The garden workshop should be insulated using a minimum of 100 mm EPS rigid insulation (or equivalent) to the walls, roof and floor. A suitable vapour control layer shall be installed internally. The workshop insulation ideally needs to achieve thermal performance broadly equivalent to a modern garden room, targeting the following indicative U‑values:
- Walls: approximately 0.30 W/m²K
- Roof: approximately 0.18 W/m²K
- Floor: approximately 0.22 W/m²K
The garden machinery storage building is not required to be insulated, unless proposed by the contractor as an optional enhancement, which shall be clearly identified and costed separately within the tender submission.
12. Windows and Doors
Workshop windows need to be toughened, low‑emissivity, argon‑filled double glazing. Doors can be either UPVC or aluminium and incorporate multi‑point locking systems. Workshop windows shall be equipped with security bars. Machinery storage doors should include a minimum 3 m wide double door arrangement to allow safe access for equipment.
13. Internal Finishes
Internal wall and ceiling linings to both buildings shall be OSB suitable for workshop environments. Workshop flooring shall be OSB for durability, while the machinery storage flooring shall be a water‑resistant finish capable of withstanding heavy machinery loads.
14. Electrical Installation
Electrical installations shall include a garage‑type consumer unit or equivalent, a minimum of six double sockets, two internal LED ceiling lights and one external PIR‑controlled light. Billing Parish Council will provide the armoured electrical supply to the buildings. All works shall comply with BS 7671 and Building Regulations Part P.
15. Weatherproofing and Durability
All external joints need to be fully sealed. External cladding has to be treated or pre‑finished for resistance to weathering. All materials must be suitable for long‑term outdoor and operational use.
16. Security Requirements
Doors should incorporate multi‑point locking systems. Glazing should be toughened for enhanced security and have bars.
17. Compliance and Standards
All works shall comply with BS 8417 for timber treatment, BS 7671 and Part P for electrical installations, and all relevant British Standards and Eurocodes applicable to structural design.
18. Deliverables
The tenderer must provide full design drawings (plans, elevations and foundation layouts), a material schedule, programme of works and warranty details covering the structure, roofing system and electrical installation.
19. Programme and Timescales
Tenderers shall provide an estimated lead‑in time for manufacture and delivery.
20. Pricing Requirements
Tender submissions must include an itemised breakdown of materials, labour and any optional extras, confirmation of VAT status, a proposed payment schedule and detailed warranty terms
21. Tender Submission Instructions
Tenders must be submitted electronically by email only. Submissions shall be sent to the following email address:
Email: greenspacemanager@billing-pc.gov.uk
The email subject line must state exactly:
Tender Submission – GSM Workshop and Machinery Storage Project
Submissions that are incorrectly labelled or submitted to an alternative email address may be rejected.
22. Tender Submission Deadline
Completed tender submissions must be received no later than Friday 12 June 2026 at 12:00 midday. Late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances.
The tenders will be review by the council in July and contact be made before August.
The opportunity can be viewed on Contract Finder here
