Banyards is proud to announce its pivotal contribution to a landmark achievement in sustainable healthcare: the Countess of Chester Hospital’s Women and Children’s Building, which has become the first completed NHS facility in England to be verified as compliant with the NHS Net Zero Building Standard.

This £110 million, state-of-the-art facility represents a transformative step forward in combining world-class patient care with environmental responsibility. The three-storey building serves over 500 staff and provides essential maternity, neonatal, paediatric, and women’s outpatient services to approximately 2,300 expectant families from Chester, Ellesmere Port, and surrounding areas including North Wales.

Comprehensive Commissioning Management Excellence

Banyards provided comprehensive commissioning management services for Integrated Health Projects (IHP), who delivered this groundbreaking project. Working alongside MEP engineers DSSR and architect AHR Architects, Banyards’ expertise was instrumental in ensuring that all £26 million worth of mechanical and electrical systems were commissioned to the latest standards, directly supporting the building’s achievement of NHS Net Zero compliance.

The project team demonstrated the Banyards commitment to delivering high-quality, sustainable developments.

Commissioning Process

The commissioning management process followed an integrated approach in accordance with BSRIA BG 11-2010 and CIBSE Commissioning Code M, covering:

• Preparation and design review
• Pre-construction coordination
• Construction phase monitoring
• Commissioning of all building services
• Pre-handover validation and testing
• Initial occupation support

Innovative Technology and Rigorous Verification

Through rigorous testing, validation, and quality assurance, the Banyards team ensured that every system met the exacting requirements of the NHS Net Zero Building Standard. The commissioning process was critical to verifying that the building’s innovative sustainable systems performed as designed, including:

• Highly insulated building envelope to minimize heating and cooling requirements
• Solar panels for on-site renewable energy generation
• Energy-efficient mechanical and electrical systems
• Advanced building management systems for optimal performance

We utilised our proprietary, Insite web-based tracking system, to provide complete transparency and 24/7 live access to commissioning data. This innovative platform tracked M&E commissioning and witnessing progress, documentation progress, commissioning programmes, and provided direct links to commissioning documentation stored on Microsoft SharePoint.

Setting New Standards for Healthcare Infrastructure

Following a comprehensive review of the Trust’s submission, NHS England formally confirmed the building’s compliance in September 2025, making it the first completed and verified project of its kind in the country. The Women and Children’s Building achieved remarkable sustainability credentials:

• 25% lower upfront carbon than required under the Standard
• 220 MWh annual energy savings through high-efficiency building services
• BREEAM Excellent rating, placing it in the top 10% of UK buildings for energy efficiency

Adam Hope, Director of Estates & Facilities at the Countess of Chester Hospital, described the achievement as “A proud moment for our hospital, our community, and the wider NHS, noting that the building demonstrates what’s possible when sustainability is embedded from the very beginning.”

Jane Tomkinson OBE, Chief Executive of the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, emphasized  “the building sets a new benchmark for what modern healthcare should look like; compassionate, inclusive, and future-focused.”

Extensive Healthcare Sector Experience

This project builds on Banyards extensive experience in the healthcare sector, where the company has completed over 150+ healthcare projects across hospitals, secure facilities, and pharmaceutical developments. The Banyards team brought proven expertise from major projects including The Christie Patterson Cancer Research Centre, the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC), Manchester Royal Infirmary, and Midland Metropolitan Hospital.

Tony Craig, Commissioning Operations Manager at Banyards, led the on-site commissioning team. With 29 years of M&E testing and commissioning experience and winner of the CSA Commissioning Manager of the Year award in 2021, Tony brought unparalleled expertise to ensure the project’s success.

A Model for the Future

The NHS Net Zero Building Standard forms a key part of the NHS’s broader ambition to become the world’s first net zero national health service. Simon Corben, Director and Head of Profession for NHS Estates and Facilities at NHS England, congratulated the hospital team and noted that “the Standard was published to support the NHS and our partners to design and build healthcare facilities that limit harmful emissions, improve energy efficiency and resilience, and support better healthcare environments for patients and staff.”

This project now serves as a precedent for future NHS developments across the country, demonstrating that high-performing healthcare buildings can be both clinically outstanding and environmentally responsible.

About the Facility

The 12,210 square meter facility replaces the original 1970s structure and forms part of the NHS’s national programme to eliminate the use of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in healthcare buildings. The building includes:

• Modern delivery suite with 11 birthing rooms and two obstetric theatres
• 24-bed maternity ward with en-suite single rooms
• Neonatal unit with capacity for up to 16 cots
• Dedicated paediatric spaces and women’s outpatient services
• Therapeutic gardens including a neonatal garden and Lavender Suite
• Improved accessibility features including a Changing Places facility and hearing loop systems

The Banyards Way

Banyards involvement in this historic project underscores the company’s commitment to its vision: “A future where every building we touch positively impacts people.” With 38 years of experience, over 50 dedicated professionals, and accreditations including ISO 9001:2015 for Quality Assurance and ISO 45001:2018 for Health and Safety, Banyards has established itself as a leading commissioning management consultancy.

By ensuring rigorous commissioning of clean energy systems to the highest standards, Banyards has helped create a facility that will serve generations to come while protecting the environment for those very same families. This achievement demonstrates that with the right expertise, collaboration, and commitment, the future of healthcare can be both clinically excellent and environmentally responsible.

Construction was completed over nearly three years using a zone-by-zone method developed to maximize value from the £110 million of government funding under the RAAC programme. The project commenced M&E services installation in 2024, with commissioning beginning in January 2025 and practical completion achieved in April 2025.