The Bench Blog

Meet the team

As part of our plans for The Bench building in Dover, we will profile some members of the team who are helping Dover District Council make this exciting project happen.

For International Women’s Day (8 March), we shine the spotlight on three professional women who are instrumental in the project’s timely delivery.

The Bench is a brand-new education, creative arts and business centre to be based in the heart of the town, located in Bench Street, just off the Market Square. Funded by the UK Government, it is one of the MHCLG’s case studies for good practice.

Ellie Farlow works for AtkinsRéalis who are lead consultants on the project. Ellie is a Project Manager who also lives in the district.

What is your role on this project?

I’m the project manager for construction of The Bench building. I am the link between Dover District Council’s team and Jenner (the contractor).

I talk to lots of different people across the project team getting updates on progress, discussing key risks and how they’re mitigating those risks. I chair and minute a lot of meetings and ensure that actions are followed up.

A focused time frame really does focus the mind! This is a design and build project which means that we can overlap the design and construction stages. We are now procuring materials to facilitate the build on site and I’m monitoring it to make sure there are no delays.

I’ve devised the master programme which the Jenner team has broken down into their own activities for the construction period. I also prepare risk registers, monthly progress reports and end of RIBA Stage reports noting what progress has been made on the project. 

How has it been working on a project so close to home?

Having local members within the team who either live close to, or have grown up in, Dover means we genuinely care about this project and its success. We’re leaving a lasting impact on communities, and I really enjoy meeting residents, and talking about the project and what it will bring. 

How are such tight deadlines being met?

A lot of work has been put in at the front end to make sure the design was robust enough in this construction stage to prevent having to go back and tweak design stages.

For Government work and public sector projects the approval process is much longer. RIBA stage reports must go through Project Advisory Groups and Cabinet opposed to the private sector where just a couple of people will offer sign off and approve quickly to get things through.

We’re a dynamic team working to a very tight deadline and it takes a certain team personality to get you through such a rigorous and ambitious programme – I feel that we’ve got that!

How did you get into this as a career?

I grew up in Dover, studied GCSEs and a mixture of A Levels at Dover Girls Grammar School, (French, English, Maths and History) and went on to study French and Italian at University, spending a year of my degree living abroad.

At university, my company AtkinsRéalis were building on campus, and they were part of the careers fair. I stopped at their stand, then applied for the graduate scheme and came in as a trainee. I did a Construction Project Management Masters conversion course in 2020 and completed my Professional Chartership in 2022, while being fully supported through the process.

What would you say to females thinking of STEM as a career?

If you have good people skills and the right mindset then this is a brilliant career.  Promoting diversity in the profession is important to me and my colleagues. When I first started seven years ago, I remember visiting a site and someone asking if I was lost (!) but it’s much more of an even split now for men and women which is encouraging.

What advice would you give them?

• Say yes to everything – I accepted every work opportunity that came my way in the first five years.
• Network as you will meet people who can support you along the way.
• Stay open minded and don’t limit your options. The construction industry is diverse and welcomes people with many different educational backgrounds.
• Always ask questions - technical knowledge develops over the years. 
• Take pride in your work – we’re in a fortunate position to deliver unique projects that positively impact communities, so own that!

 

Jenny Coller works for Dover District Council as a Project Manager in the major projects team. Jenny also lives in the district.

What brought about the idea for a creative centre in Dover?

All our early research informed us that that creativity in Dover is growing – and the creative sector is a growing industry. Along the whole of the southeast coast, people are moving out of London and setting up businesses such as art galleries or spaces for people to meet up and do something creative.

The in-person consultation with key stakeholders and community groups reinforced this initial research. We submitted the levelling up funding bid knowing that we wanted to offer creative education opportunities for our residents that they didn’t have to leave Dover for, we wanted to provide small start-up spaces for new business and we wanted somewhere that anyone could go in and visit, as an integral part of the town, whether that’s to appreciate others’ creativity in the gallery space, or where they can grab a drink in the café and see the amazing multi-faceted views of Dover.

We’re working closely with East Kent College as they devise their broad arts programme of courses which they will be offering to students for the 2026 intake, offering light functional areas including studios and teaching spaces. We’re levelling up educational inequalities in the area and bringing more opportunities for the local community.

For business start-ups – we’ve had residents telling us that this is exactly what they need – they’re outgrowing their existing space (often their own homes) and this is the obvious next step.

The bigger picture

I see this as something tangible that will have a positive impact on people’s lives.

We’re a small cog, a tiny piece that is working towards the Council’s vision statement of delivering for Dover. We’re not just saying that we want to do it, or we’re going to do it, it is happening, and this particular project is being delivered at a fair pace.

We’re needing to adapt our traditional high street model to one that combines some shopping with activities and things to do. That combines our history and heritage with art and education and places to meet.

Young people can go to college locally rather than travelling to Folkestone or Canterbury – we’re giving them more accessible options. They can walk and not have to worry about transport or costs and be part of something they can be proud of.

What is your role on the project?

I have regular catch ups with Ellie, where we go through requests for information, deadlines, timings, staffing, how the contractors are reporting information and anything that has occurred on site.

At this time of the year, I have the end of financial year to consider.  I’m doing the budget reporting, liaising a lot with the consultant team as we’re now in construction phase and working with the accountants at DDC to make sure we’ve drawn down the right amounts of money at the right time. I go through every payment certificate that comes in to make sure it’s correct.

I work closely with the quantity surveyors for Atkins Realis and they give me reports about predicted spend and current spend and any additional contingency item use, which for a project is always set at a certain value against the tender sum to ensure we account for every eventuality,  for instance, when we had the pandemic and the Ukranian war started, steel prices drastically increase and on other projects organisations  had to use contingency budgets.

I review budget expenditure for the next year and consider costs forecast for   commercial impact such as anything transport-related because transport costs will increase post April with new taxation increases for example. As we go into the next financial year, I also consider the cost of living, paid salary, national insurance, inflation, planning fees etc that need to be adjusted over the lifetime of the project.

I also report back to our councillors regularly – a process we call governance. There’s a reporting structure for our funders too. Quarterly reporting ensures that the public money we spend is on the right areas and provide proof that we’re delivering exactly what has been approved.

Meeting regularly with the design team and contractors on site and undertake inspections of what they’re building to make sure they’re up to specification, checking with structural engineers, the design team of architects and the mechanical and electrical engineers.  We’re just coming ‘out of the ground’ for a foundations and slab and already we’ve run ducts for the IT, water and the electric ready and waiting for the next stages.

We’re discussing and procuring items such as doors and windows already to get the best value for money, at the best price and quality. The project is on a tight timeframe, so everything has to be well planned in advance, and everybody knows exactly what their deadline is and what’s due and how to do it/meet it.

How did you get into this as a career?

I always had a fascination with building things – often asking for Lego and Technics for Christmas and birthdays as a child- and therefore it was no surprise to my family when I chose to study Architecture at Oxford Brookes University School of Architecture following my A levels (in Art, English and Biology).

I graduated and then went on to work for an architect’s firm in Canterbury whilst doing an MA in 3D Design specifically in architectural interiors.  For a number of years I worked for the NHS, for instance, enlarging a special baby unit, building a new light therapy room for children with special needs, refurbishing a hydrotherapy pool, upgrading specialist theatres such as podiatry, building new health centres and specialised units for mental health. I worked for a housing developer for a short period before going back to the NHS as a project manager and then set up my own project management company before joining Dover District Council to deliver the Kearsney Parks Project.

I love working in the public sector as I want to deliver projects that make a difference

What advice would you give anyone wanting to work in project management?

• Think ahead - I did work experience and worked at three different firms doing placements. It helped me understand what work was like, and how a business worked. From this I prepared a portfolio of work which helped me get into the University I wanted to go to.
• Try things – what’s the harm in trying something, and what’s the worst that can happen? Technical drawing wasn’t something I was able to do at school, so I taught myself.
• Consider all options – you don’t always need to go to university. You can do apprenticeships for example. There are so many courses to choose from now, so if you didn’t study architecture and followed a different course, you can change paths.
• Don’t be afraid to go into a world of construction, your skills are completely transferable. The key is good communication, a lot of patience and don’t be afraid to ask if you don’t understand something.
• No one is perfect, everyone is human and accept that you’re not going to be at the very top straight away. You will make mistakes, and you will learn, but you will figure it out.

Liz Gibney is a Partner at Lee Evans Partnership Architects (LEP) who have designed the Bench Building. Liz also lives in the Dover district.

What is your role in the project?

I’m working as part of the AtkinsRéalis team on the client side for this project. My role is to ensure that Dover District Council secures what they want and need from the written project brief, and that the money is well spent. I also ensure that the design choices are well explained and provide full oversight.

What was your inspiration for the design of The Bench building?

Originally there were three buildings planned for a college, business centre and creative centre but as the project progressed, we decided on a multi-purpose building that could be split into separate components to give full flexibility of use both now and in the future. When it opens, we will be welcoming three tenants who will all have their own respective areas.

It’s a multi-sided building with three separate doors on different sides. It’s a challenging site because of the continuous flow of port traffic running past, and the noise that it generates, so it has been designed to keep its windows closed.

The location has influenced the three-dimensional design of the building because the part along Townwall Street has been designed to be something you see as you drive past. That is the side which has the interesting shapes on it so as you drive along, you’ll register its three-dimensional form. It has a solid and void design, with lots of big panels of brick and interesting shapes.

The other parts of the building, such as that which faces Marks and Spencer, is very articulated with lots of windows and the walkway that goes underneath it so that has much more human interaction, and then it’s very clear as you come through the market square where the entrance is.

It’s also very visible from the top of the Western Heights and Dover Castle and so we wanted it to have a 3D form that you could notice, to make it more like a sculptural landmark when viewed from above.

The top room of the building, which is the studio, will give you amazing views of the sea and as you come up to the top of the subway, we’ve framed the view at the top to the right, so you can look up to see a view of the castle.

For the business centre, there’s a balcony area on one corner where you can look with amazing views out to the castle as well. We’ve also framed the view with where the old historic arch used to be as part of the Townwall Street wall. Where it comes out replicates the idea of the arch and how people used to arrive in Dover.

Why is the building being called The Bench?

Bench Street was one of the key routes into Dover in medieval times, which is why it’s such a prominent area for archaeology. The Dover Society explains how it got its name from a bench in the gate tower where people gathered to chat or transact business, and this is why the new building will be known as The Bench as a respectful nod to the past.

What does it mean to you to be able to design buildings where you live?

I feel incredibly honoured and proud to have worked on both this building and the newly built Dover Boys Grammar School building in the town where I live. LEP are also working on the new theatre space for Dover College.

People will generally measure the success of a town due to its retail offer whereas this, as a building of significance being built in a town centre, to me is so much better. It’s a real, genuine investment for the future of Dover. This is a prominent building for our community. Dover has a strong identity and if this building can contribute to the town’s wider economic growth, by encouraging people to relocate, study or stay here, then we’re creating more of a legacy. By default, this will encourage a different type of retail offer and hopefully bring prosperity.

What would you say to anyone considering architecture as a career?

If you like art and design and you want to make a difference, to where you live then becoming an architect is a great job to consider.

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