About me
Ben Flounders, MRCIS, MSc
I am Ben Flounders, an experienced project leader with over 20 years of experience delivering complex, high-value initiatives across multiple stakeholder environments.
I have previously worked for Mace, Ridge & Partners, and more recently as a Director for a multi-disciplinary consultancy in the Midlands, before taking the exciting step to set up on my own to provide freelance services.
I have specialised expertise in establishing and directing large-scale capital projects from conception through completion, particularly in educational and healthcare development.
Demonstrated success in managing the delivery of projects exceeding £300m and programmes exceeding £1Bn in value while establishing robust governance frameworks, securing stakeholder alignment, and translating strategic objectives into operational reality.
Adept at coordinating diverse teams across public and private sectors to deliver transformational projects that meet exacting quality standards, timeframes, and budgetary requirements. Seeking to leverage this comprehensive experience to lead the successful delivery of complex projects
My track record demonstrates the ability to navigate the unique challenges of specialised facilities while maintaining rigorous budget control, quality standards, and operational functionality.
Key Project Experience:
Throughout my career, I’ve had the pleasure of supporting clients across many fantastic projects.
Each example showcases my ability to align multidisciplinary teams toward a unified vision, manage complex stakeholder relationships, and deliver facilities that enhance both educational excellence and the wider institutional mission.
A few examples of my personal experience are noted as follows;
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University College London & Moorfields Eye Hospital JV - Project Oriel, Central London | £315 Million
Directing a team to deliver a world-leading specialist eye research and treatment facility in central London from RIBA 3 through construction and delivery phases
Established an integrated governance structure bridging the requirements of both higher education research and specialised clinical care. Engaged in comprehensive end-user engagement with both research, clinical colleagues and technical assurance stakeholders to ensure that the contract requirements met the brief and required technical guidance.
Implementing innovative construction supervision strategy under the NEC framework to ensure delivery of highly complex and specialised research environments
Navigated the scheme through the Building Safety Act / Regulations process
The project is currently in RIBA 5 (mid-construction) with completion scheduled for late 2026
Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust | £1 Billion+
Provided Strategic, Technical Advisory and Project Management services to the SWBH leadership team to support the delivery strategy for the 86,000m² flagship hospital development.
Orchestrated design team coordination across a complex healthcare facility with specialised clinical environments
Working with the Trust's delivery team, the implementation innovative soft landings approach for technical commissioning phases, establishing best practice protocols adopted by subsequent New Hospital Programme projects
Led the delivery of a comprehensive 10-year Estate Strategy for retained estate across multiple sites, maximising operational efficiency following service transfers post new hospital move
Established a robust integration strategy with community healthcare services across the Integrated Care System and ICB partners
Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Trust | £980 Million + £160 Million
Directed the development of the Strategic Outline Case for complete £980m hospital redevelopment while concurrently managing the critical RAAC structural safety program
Led multidisciplinary response to urgent RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) structural integrity crisis affecting 79% of the existing hospital estate
Secured emergency funding allocation through rapid development of compelling business cases, ultimately obtaining £160m capital investment over a 5-year program
Established a comprehensive programme management office (PMO) governing critical risk mitigation works while maintaining operational continuity
Implemented phased decant strategy, enabling progressive installation of failsafe solutions across occupied clinical environments
Recognised as an exemplar approach to managing complex estate risk, establishing a governance framework now adopted across similar healthcare estates
North-West Anglia NHS Trust // New Hospital development at Hinchingbrooke Hospital
Strategic and technical advisor role supporting the development of a significant business case for a 64,000m2 new build hospital development and MSCP enabling works for North-West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust.
Lincolnshire Integrated Care System // £1.86Bn // System-wide Estate Strategy
I led a multidisciplinary team to provide a clinical plan and estate strategy from a feasibility study ‘Proof of Concept through to a comprehensive Health Improvement Programme bid, EOI submission for the NHP programme and strategy output for the radical transformation of service delivery and associated estates requirements across the system, including acute, community, mental health and primary care sectors (2019–ongoing).
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust / £1.25Bn / “Tommorrow’s NUH” Transformation Programme
Directed the development of a comprehensive 15-year Healthcare Property Strategy supporting the New Hospital Programme, Pre Consultation Business Case (PCBC) and Programme Business Case (PBC) using HMT Five Case Model
Led master planning and reconfiguration strategy and estates component for major teaching hospital sites (Nottingham City Hospital and Queen's Medical Centre)
Established evidence-based demand/capacity modelling framework to inform spatial requirements and clinical adjacencies
Directed a multidisciplinary team responsible for the estates annexe supporting £1.25bn capital allocation from the government's ambitions, New Hospital Programme
Concurrently directed £54m Outline Business Case for multi-story car park development; £4m Demolition and remediation works projects, and £55m Utilities Infrastructure developments as key enabler projects
Implemented comprehensive estate evaluation program covering condition surveys, statutory compliance assessment, and space utilisation analysis to inform strategic decision-making
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University College London & Moorfields Eye Hospital JV - Project Oriel, Central London | £315 Million
Directing a team to deliver a world-leading specialist eye research and treatment facility in central London from RIBA 3 through construction and delivery phases
Established an integrated governance structure bridging the requirements of both higher education research and specialised clinical care. Engaged in comprehensive end-user engagement with both research, clinical colleagues and technical assurance stakeholders to ensure that the contract requirements met the brief and required technical guidance.
Implementing innovative construction supervision strategy under the NEC framework to ensure delivery of highly complex and specialised research environments
Navigated the scheme through the Building Safety Act / Regulations process
The project is currently in RIBA 5 (mid-construction) with completion scheduled for late 2026
Broadmoor High Secure Mental Health Facility / Ministry of Justice & West London NHS Trust - / £250 Million
Directed technical delivery strategy for a highly specialised 35-acre high-security healthcare facility
Implemented comprehensive training and handover program for integrated security systems and specialised M&E infrastructure
Delivered operational readiness programme culminating in successful facility handover in August 2018
Successfully managed transition from old Victorian-era hospital to modern high secure healthcare environment
Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust // £4m // Helipad Relocation
Led the feasibility, design development, business case and delivery of the relocation of a helipad to release prime development space for future hospital build.
Liaised with Aviation authorities and many complex regulatory processes to secure necessary approvals
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University of Northampton, Waterside Campus Development | £330 Million
Directed comprehensive consolidation of multi-site university estate into a single purpose-built campus across 54 acres
Led strategic vision development from RIBA Stage 1, establishing clear operational cost reduction targets and enhanced student experience objectives
Delivered complex transformation including demolition of disused power station, full site remediation, and construction of major infrastructure to support the proposed campus development; roads and highways, including 2 bridges across the River Nene.
Delivered an integrated academic campus comprising 6 significant educational/academic buildings, 1,000 student residences, an energy centre with a district heating network, and the adaptive reuse of a grade II listed heritage building and high-quality public realm and landscaping.
Project delivered on time, meeting all strategic objectives for operational efficiency, student experience enhancement, and staff recruitment/retention
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Westway Development, Botley, Oxford | £90 Million
Directed complex £90m urban regeneration project from RIBA 2 through to RIBA 6 Delivery/handover
Successfully navigated planning process for major mixed-use scheme comprising a multi-storey car park, 425,000 sq. ft of mixed-use facilities (commercial and retail), a 123-bed hotel, a church, 140 private residential units (one, two, and three-bedroom), 261 units of student accommodation, and enhanced public spaces.
Led integrated design development process across multiple building typologies and uses
Established procurement strategy and awarded building contracts to ensure successful project implementation
Delivered enhanced public realm strategy integrating commercial, educational, and residential components
Private developer // £12m // 414 unit Student residential scheme
I led the Project Management contract administration and cost consultancy roles for the delivery of 414 units of student residential in Huddersfield. The building had to be stripped back to the primary structure due to fire enforcement compliance issues (post-Grenfell) and refurbished to deliver high-spec student residential facilities. Upon Practical Completion, the developer sold this development to the Home Office, so a deed of variation was agreed to undertake further refurbishment and reconfiguration to deliver this scheme to accommodate asylum seekers and so had different regulations to comply with.
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Timet UK & Special Metals PLC// £9m // Vacuum Arc Remelting furnace - I have experience in manufacturing in the aviation and heavy engineering sectors - led the construction management of a new build vacuum arc remelting furnace for a private client in Birmingham, which melts/processes raw titanium into 8tonne ingots for the aviation sector engine parts. This was probably the most complex construction management contract I've had the pleasure to lead, with incredibly challenging plant and infrastructure, and highly explosive cooling agents (Nak, sodium-potassium) feeding a live furnace adjacent to our construction site. We had to deliver the works directly adjacent to a live melting furnace to maintain business as usual, and operational continuity. Safety was of primary importance when working near live dangerous substances, gases and challenging access arrangements. exi led the process in the identification and specification of functional safety requirements and validation of safety functions during the complex commissioning process. Informed by the HAZOP study—the furnace was loaded with SMART digital technology to enhance H&S for operators. Systems such as fortress interlocking systems; laser occupancy sensors, movement sensors, gas alarm monitors, limit switches, temperature sensors, interlocking valves and flow meters for critical services; all linked via operating PLCs and SCADA control interfaces to make sure the furnace operates as safely as possible and human interaction was reduced as far as practicable for the various stages of risk throughout the process. I gained a huge appreciation for the value of process engineering in the manufacturing setting and the importance of maintaining operational continuity at all times.
Pressmark Pressings Ltd // £2m // Manufacturing factory reconfiguration – developed and managed the delivery programme, leading and coordinating engagement with the Client to frame their future business vision and capture the company growth objectives including the optimisation of operations, increased productivity and new technology, providing a reduction in double handling, increasing storage capacity, achieving optimum flows, and improving the use of current space to provide expansion space for new operations.
Qualifications
MRICS Chartered member of RICS (Project Management)
Executive Development Programme, Imperial College London (equivalent to an MBA)
MSc. Construction Project Management
BSc. (Hons), Arch. Technology (First)
Prince2 MAPM
CSCS: Professionally Qualified Person
HMT Better Business Case Accredited
UK Government security clearance - Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)
Key skills
Proven business and project leader
Strategic and objective-focused
Effective and confident communicator at the Executive level
Stakeholder and partnership management
Leading large multi-disciplinary teams
All aspects of capital investment from strategy to delivery
I insist on high integrity in everything we do.
Accountable by nature, I promote team ownership in the delivery of objectives
Appreciation for strong governance and process
Technical & Design Management
Commercially astute & risk minded
JCT / NEC forms of contract
Specialisms
Strategic & Technical advisory
Project setup, structure, and governance
Programme and Project Leadership
Business Case development (Five Case Model; SOC / OBC / FBCs & Shortform Business Case formats)
Experienced in dealing with multiple clients, complex and sensitive stakeholder groups, and multiple design teams working concurrently
Contact us
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