Seafront Beach Office

Stripped back, waterproofed and refitted for the seafront

EJ McGrath delivered the full refurbishment of North Somerset Council’s beach office on Marine Parade, Weston-super-Mare. The single-storey pavilion houses the council’s seafront team and had fallen into serious disrepair, with damp throughout, delaminated beam ends and a roof at the end of its life.

As principal contractor under a JCT contract, we stripped the building back to its shell and rebuilt it for its exposed tidal setting. A Type C cavity drain waterproofing system with twin sump pumps and battery back-up keeps the building dry, steel flood defence doors protect both seaward entrances, and the roof was stripped to the concrete deck and re-covered.

The fit-out gave the team a modern, low-maintenance base: new partitions and wall linings, epoxy resin floors, a kitchen and accessible washrooms, heat-recovery ventilation, air conditioning, a full rewire with fire and intruder alarms, and composite decking outside. The building sits in a conservation area, so the seven replacement windows were matched to the originals.

Project highlights

Dry in a tidal flood zone

Guardian cavity drain membrane to the walls and floor, twin Tsurumi sump pumps with Victron battery back-up, and M3 Flootec steel flood doors to the seaward entrances.

Structural repairs & re-roof

Delaminated beam ends treated and fire-boarded, and the roof stripped back to the concrete deck with a new membrane and finish.

Conservation-area detail

Seven new windows matched to the existing pattern, slatted internal cladding, resin floors and a Category L1 fire alarm, signed off with a final certificate by building control.