Innisfree Ltd

Innisfree Ltd is a fund management company based in the United Kingdom which manages substantial interests in private finance initiative (PFI) schemes in the UK, Canada, Sweden and Holland. It invests funds in social infrastructure projects, such as hospitals and schools, on behalf of institutional investors such as local authority pension funds. The company has a portfolio of 56 projects with a capital value of over £18 billion.[1]

Role

The company was founded by David Metter in 1995 and has raised over £2.3 billion to date for investment in social infrastructure assets. It has over £1.7 billion under management in four long term income funds. These funds have lives of 35 years or more which matches the length of a typical PFI contract of between 25 and 30 years and reflects Innisfree's policy to remain a long term partner in these projects.[2]

The majority of Innisfree's investors are UK institutions with 30% of funds from overseas. Most of these investors are pension funds seeking long-term sustainable income. Over 80% of Innisfree's commitments are to UK projects with the remainder located in Canada, The Netherlands and Sweden.

The role of equity providers such as Innisfree in PFI projects is to ensure the delivery of public services infrastructure to a standard as set out by the public sector with financial penalties for non-performance. Payment is only made once a facility is delivered and when the facility is operating as contractually stipulated. The PFI unitary charge includes payments to cover the cost of capital expenditure, the services needed to run and repair that asset and, in certain circumstances, supporting soft services. If a project is built using conventional procurement, these future costs for services are not automatically covered, monitored or disclosed.

Criticism

There has been much criticism of the PFI concept since its inception with Innisfree attracting some of this attention. In July 2011, Jesse Norman MP set up a campaign to obtain a rebate from PFI providers and Innisfree was one of the companies targeted.[3]

In March 2013 there were protests outside the company's offices in London by protestors who claimed the company's PFI deal was leading to the forced closure of A&E and other facilities at Lewisham Hospital and to privatisation of the NHS.[4] As at October 2020, the A&E department remains open.

PFI schemes

National Heath Service

The company is the largest external investor in NHS hospitals. Innisfree's health projects include:

Defence

Project Allenby Connaught, at £12 billion, is one of the UK's largest PFI projects. The 35-year contract with Aspire Defence was let in 2006. It involves servicing and refurbishment of buildings on 800 ha of army land around Salisbury Plain and in Aldershot.[11] Aspire Defence Limited is 37.5% owned by "funds managed by Innisfree"; the other shareholders are InfraRed Capital Partners (17.5%) and KBR (45%). The works are being delivered through joint ventures of Carillion and KBR.[12]

References
  1. "innisfree". innisfree. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  2. "Funds". innisfree. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  3. "PFI firms should share their gains". Guardian. 25 November 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  4. "Protest against A&E closures at NHS PFI Company Innisfree in London". Demotix. 1 March 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  5. "Skanska/Innisfree consortium wins bid to redevelop Barts". IJ Global. 31 October 2003. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  6. "Huge PFI hospital for Derby". BBC. 3 September 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  7. "Multinational firm Skanksa sells its stake in the PFI company behind University Hospital, Coventry". 1 December 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  8. "St Helens and Knowsley PFI Hospitals Project". Constructing Excellence. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  9. "Skanska Innisfree wins £265m health PFI". 1 September 2004. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  10. "Moody's changes Healthcare Support (Newcastle) Finance plc's outlook to developing from positive". Moody's. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  11. "Defence Infrastructure Organisation: Project Allenby Connaught". Ministry of Defence. 12 December 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  12. "Our Sponsors". Aspire Defence. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
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