A BOLTON-based construction firm with more than 107 years of history has landed two major refurbishment contracts which total more than £21.5 million.

G&J Seddon, which is one of the North West's largest construction companies, has embarked on a £20 million design and build contract to redevelop Highbury Hospital in Nottinghamshire, which offers mental health care and rehabilitation.

The group, which operates from its base on Plodder Lane, Farnworth, has also started work on a £1.6 million extension to a retail development in Congleton, Cheshire.

The company will phase in redevelopments at the hospital, which will see a complete transformation of the site over a four-year period. Existing Victorian buildings will be replaced with modern facilities which have been designed in consultation with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and Rushcliffe Primary Care Trust.

The project involves the replacement of existing buildings while patients are still being cared for on site.

The hospital contract is larger than most awarded to Seddons, with the average contract at £3 million per year.

A 2,000 sq foot extension will also be added to West Heath Shopping Centre in Congleton, owned by the Heath Murray Group, in a nine-month project which also includes provision of customer car parking facilities.

In a ceremony to mark the beginning of the project, Sale Sharks and England rugby union star Mark Cueto took control of a JCB to cut the first sod of grass.

Jonathon Seddon, managing director of G&J Seddon said: "As with all projects a lot of planning has already gone into the extension for West Heath Shopping Centre, but it's the start on site that everyone looks forward to."

Speaking about the hospital development he added: "This is a very intricate contract. All parties - Trusts, patients, staff and carers - are excited at the prospect of seeing a progressive improvement of the healthcare facilities available on the Highbury Hospital site over the next four years.

"Everyone involved with the development is fired with the same enthusiasm for a project which, on completion, will provide the people of Nottingham with a new, fully integrated complex of hospital buildings from where the Trusts will be able to continue delivering quality care."

G & J Seddon currently employs 560 people, including 55 apprentices.