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.

Scope of works

• Type C cavity drain waterproofing & sump pumps
• 2 no. steel flood defence doors
• 82 m² screed & epoxy resin floor
• Full rewire, fire & intruder alarms
• MVHR & air conditioning
• Kitchen, washrooms & external decking

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EJ McGrath Construction Ltd carried out the Levels 3 and 4 landing stage repairs at the Pier Head of Clevedon Pier in 2025 for the Clevedon Pier & Heritage Trust. The enquiry came in through Fenton Holloway Ltd, and we built the works to a design by Adam Magrill, their conservation-accredited engineer. Clevedon Pier is a Grade I listed Victorian pier on the Severn Estuary, one of very few Grade I listed piers in the country, so the job was as much about protecting the historic structure as making the landings sound again.

The brief

The two lower landing stages, right at the seaward end of the pier, had reached the end of their life. The timber decking to Levels 3 and 4 was weathered and decayed, with boards worn, gaps opening up between them and some planks already lost. The bearers underneath had rotted and the steel below needed cleaning and protecting. Our job was to strip the old decking back, renew the bearers and boards, prepare and paint the steel, and refix the deck, all without disturbing the original Victorian ironwork around it.

What we did

• Stripped out the old decking board by board across both the Level 3 and Level 4 landings.
• Prepared the tops of the steel beams to ISO St2 by hand and power tool cleaning, then put on two coats of Sigmashield 880 before any new timber went down.
• Fitted new recycled plastic lumber bearers, a rot-free material we use in permanently wet spots, bolted to the steel with M16 tension control bolts pre-loaded with a shear wrench and the torque recorded.
• Laid new strength-graded C24 timber deck boards, fixed down with A2 stainless steel coach screws recessed just below the surface.
• Kept and reused the original Victorian cast ironwork: the diamond-lattice grating, the balustrades and handrails, and the cast iron benches, which went back onto the finished deck.
• Kept full quality records throughout, including paint application record sheets and photo logs.
• Self-delivered all the labour, plant, supervision and temporary access, and took all waste away under our own licensed waste carrier status.

Working around the tide

This was full marine works from start to finish, and the whole programme was driven by the tide. The Severn Estuary has one of the largest tidal ranges in the world. Our supervisor planned the work a week at a time around the tide windows: tides above 7.6m overtop the Level 3 landing and tides above 11.1m overtop Level 4, so the lower deck was only reachable around low water. We never painted within seven hours of an overtopping tide, and we checked the forecast before any coating went on.

Getting down to the lower landings was a job in itself. The Trust removed a floor in the structure above so our team could reach them, and long lengths of timber and plastic board were lowered over the edge by hand as a two-man lift. We decked out a temporary platform in 25mm ply and worked directly over the water, at height, in full body harnesses clipped to beam-clamp anchor points with fall-arrest blocks, and self-inflating buoyancy aids on at all times.

The pier is Grade I listed and stays open to the public, so the work had to be conservation-sensitive and properly fenced off. We worked around the original cast iron grating, balustrades and trestle legs, and used a gated compound, a gateman and clear signage to keep visitors well away from the works.

The outcome

Both landing stages went back with new, safe decks and the pier’s Victorian character intact. The cast iron grating, balustrades and benches were reinstated as they were, sitting on new decking suited to a salt-water location: rot-free recycled plastic bearers below, strength-graded timber boards on top, all on freshly protected steel. It is another marine job for EJ McGrath at Clevedon, following our sea wall repairs at Clevedon Marine Lake.

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What we delivered

• Three terraced steel-frame units with a mono-pitched, insulated steel-profile roof (10% translucent panels) and elevations in part insulated profile, part brick.
• Power-floated concrete floors rated to 30 kN/m², with concrete loading aprons outside each unit.
• Generous height for the size of unit: 6.7m at the eaves rising to 8.2m, with each unit designed to take a mezzanine of up to around 1,550 sq ft.
• A ground-level electric loading door to every unit.
• Mains water, drainage and three-phase electricity, plus provision for EV charging points and an Openreach connection.
• Two parking spaces per unit, with access, hardstanding and loading areas.
• Illuminated signage zones to the gable facing Winterstoke Road, with consent already in place.

The challenge

A compact plot right off a busy main road, next to the Shell garage, built out to a spec that would suit a range of occupiers without tying it to any one fit-out. The units needed to work from day one: flexible inside, ready for a mezzanine, and with the services and signage consents sorted.

Our approach

We kept the spec simple and robust so incoming tenants have room to adapt it, good height, heavy-duty floors and the routes for mezzanines, EV charging and signage already planned in. We ran the programme and sequencing tightly and finished to a high, end-user-ready standard the client could take straight to market.

Outcome

Three flexible units, finished and brought to market for B2, B8, light-industrial and trade-counter use, available on their own or combined (775 to 4,650 sq ft), with one already pre-let. The scheme adds good commercial space to the Winterstoke Road corridor, a couple of miles from Weston town centre and within four miles of Junction 21 of the M5.

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EJ McGrath’s role

EJ McGrath self-delivered both phases with our own teams, heritage lime-mortar masonry on one, intertidal concrete repair on the other, planning all access, plant and sequencing around the tide and continuous public use. Keeping the work in-house meant one team, one standard and clear accountability across two very different sets of skills.

Phase 1: the boundary retaining wall, masonry repairs

The first phase restored the historic sea wall at Poets Walk, a Victorian stone masonry structure dating from the creation of the Marine Lake. This was conservation work: bring the wall back to good order with traditional materials and methods, without losing its character.

• Re-pointed and repaired in NHL5 hydraulic lime mortar to match the original
• Replaced around 82 metres of coping and facing stone, like for like
• Made good roughly twenty missing stones
• Opened no more than ten metres of wall at any one time to keep the structure and the public safe
• Kept the promenade and Marine Lake open throughout, with no direct vehicle access, all materials and plant planned in carefully

Phase 2: Marine Lake seaward wall, concrete repairs

The second phase moved onto the seaward face of the Marine Lake itself, a 1920s concrete wall with a stone facing, where years of exposure had opened up voids across the face. We carried out repairs in Fosroc Renderoc HB45, working in the intertidal zone right at the water’s edge.

The defining challenge was the tide, and unusually, it came from both sides: the sea advancing across the beach in front, and water overtopping into the lake and back over the wall from behind on an offshore wind. With no easy way to reach the face, we engineered our way around it rather than forcing the programme:

• A floating pontoon with a fixed tether line run along the lake wall
• Custom-fabricated lightweight aluminium access platforms to reach every repair area safely
• Every shift planned against the tide tables, with the site supervisor adjusting daily to the actual weather, swell and sea state

Timing mattered as much to the quality of the concrete repair as to the safety of the team: catch a pour or a cure on the wrong tide and you lose the work. We didn’t.

Outcome

A sound, repaired wall, delivered on budget and ahead of programme. Across the two phases we brought heritage masonry and marine concrete repair together on the same stretch of Clevedon seafront: both flood-defence assets, both repaired in live, tidal, publicly used surroundings, and both self-delivered by our own teams. It’s the kind of constraint-led coastal work that keeps North Somerset Council bringing us back to the seafront.

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North Somerset Council appointed EJ McGrath as Principal Contractor, with AtkinsRéalis (Bristol) as contract administrator, for the refurbishment of Marine Lake on the Weston-super-Mare seafront, a tidal lake repaired and upgraded in a live, public marine environment. Repairs to the lake structures, intertidal concrete and the perimeter surfacing could only be progressed in the windows between tides, under a Marine Management Organisation (MMO) marine licence, to a fixed completion.

What we delivered

• Marine & intertidal concrete repairs: structural patch repairs to the lake structures, with new RC GGBS nosing and rear margins
• New RC slipway constructed on driven cased-pile foundations
• Drainage & utilities: new MDPE water mains, soil/waste stack, drainage and outfall connections
• Perimeter surfacing: polymer-modified asphalt laid to tight temperature control within a single window of low tides
• Building works: full refurbishment of two buildings (structural, M&E and finishes), including a fully modernised toilet block
• Externals & finishes: stainless and stone-stair handrails, cobble and portal reinstatement, and public-realm finishes
• Bespoke marine-grade fabrication: stainless-steel handrails, signage and bespoke gates

The challenge

A tidal lake on a live public seafront, with no margin for programme slip. Intertidal and surfacing works were limited to the windows between tides, with the polymer-modified asphalt needing tight temperature control to a fixed completion, all under an MMO marine licence with public access maintained throughout.

Our approach

Intertidal and surfacing operations were sequenced to the tide tables and continuously monitored and adjusted for wind, temperature and conditions. Public segregation was phased around the works, with daily tidal and weather briefings keeping the programme on track.

Safety, security & compliance

As Principal Contractor on a live seafront, we delivered under the MMO marine licence with full pollution-prevention controls and no environmental breaches recorded. Quality was ITP-led, with independent material testing alongside our own QA records.

Outcome

The refurbishment was completed and handed back in May 2026, with the surfacing independently tested and QA-evidenced to specification across every layer. The result, and our standing relationship with North Somerset Council, have since generated direct follow-on interest, including further Marine Lake works and the accessible ramp at Clevedon Marine Lake.

Huge thanks must go to the officers involved and our contractor EJ McGrath for completing the work in time for the second May bank holiday and start of the school holidays, despite the challenges of working in a marine environment.Cllr Mike Solomon, North Somerset Council

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The brief

Alun Griffiths engaged EJM to self-deliver the civils and hard landscaping at the heart of the regeneration: to take up the existing streets, install new drainage and kerb lines, and lay the natural stone paving that gives the town centre its finished character. The work covered several linked streets and had to be phased around live shopfronts, traffic and pedestrians.

What we did

• Site clearance, carriageway breakout and earthworks across Fore Street, Holyrood Street, Boden Street and Howards Row, with subsoiling, topsoiling and Type 1 build-up to hold the finished levels
• New surface-water drainage: pipe runs and connections, gullies, chambers and ACO channel outlets
• Granite, stone and HB2 kerbing, bullnose and drop kerbs, with dished, linear and stone channels, including the Blue Lias rill channels through Fore Street and Holyrood Street
• Natural stone paving laid in phases: flagstone paving, setts and Blue Lias flags, with tactile paving to crossings
• Blue Lias masonry and repointing, reusing historical flag paving to blend levels into existing surfaces
• Tree pits and planting, plus careful removal, storage and reinstatement of street furniture: benches, litter bins, cycle racks, a BT phone box, post box, notice boards and a public sculpture

Working in a live town centre

The scheme ran through a trading high street, so access, traffic management and pedestrian routes were controlled street by street and phase by phase. On Fore Street our teams uncovered an unstable culvert beneath the carriageway; we carried out investigation and CCTV surveys and installed a 20mm mild steel plate, around 12m long, to bridge it so paving could continue safely. Existing bedding depths and ground conditions varied across the site and were reworked to keep the new stone paving true to level.

The outcome

EJM handed over a fully remodelled town centre streetscape: new drainage, kerbing, natural stone paving and reinstated street furniture across Fore Street, Holyrood Street and Boden Street, all self-performed with our own teams and plant as part of Chard’s public realm regeneration.

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The brief

The existing house, a former family-run GP surgery, had fallen into disrepair and needed sensitive repair rather than replacement. Full planning permission covered renovation and subdivision of the main house together with new homes to the rear. The scheme had to satisfy the conservation requirements of Historic England and North Somerset Council while meeting current building regulations.

What we did

• Site clearance, ground investigation and regrading of site levels, with temporary welfare, power and site security established
• Extension and conversion of the existing house into three self-contained dwellings, including rebuilding the three front bays to the structural engineer’s design
• Conversion of the former coach house into a further self-contained dwelling
• Construction of a new-build bungalow to the rear, from foundations through to completion
• New private below-ground foul and surface-water drainage with soakaways serving each property
• New utility connections and street naming and numbering

A sensitive, constrained site

The main building carried elements of structural instability that had to be stabilised as part of the restoration, and its original character was retained using traditional materials agreed with the conservation officers. The site also supported protected bats, so the works followed the ecologist’s method statement under a licensed mitigation strategy, with ecological supervision where required.

The outcome

Church Quarters delivered five completed homes on a restored landmark site, built to current building regulations and backed by a 10-year structural warranty. Working as main contractor, EJ McGrath took the development from a vacant, deteriorating building through to a finished terrace, coach house and new dwelling ready for occupation.

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The brief

Form a new launch ramp for craft using the marina, building around tidal water levels and public access to the quayside.

What we did

• Temporary dam installation to work in the dry
• Piling and reinforced concrete ground beams
• Reinforced concrete slabs
• Block walling
• Grasscrete surfacing
• Precast concrete steps

Working in a tidal environment

The ramp sits within the working marina, so the sequence had to be planned around tide levels, with the site left safe and secure between shifts.

The outcome

A completed slipway giving safe launch and recovery for boats using the marina.

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The brief

The University wanted a coherent, high quality landscape setting for the completed building: new courtyards, entrances, steps and circulation routes that tied the contemporary works back into the historic villas, while keeping the surrounding campus open and in use throughout. EJM held the contract directly with the University and self-delivered the groundworks and hard landscaping, with specialist subcontractors for the balustrade, lighting and soft-landscaping elements.

What we delivered

The works were set out across nine zones covering the entrance courtyards, the Level 0 inner courtyard, the main entrance, the driveway and the cycle and motorcycle parking areas. Scope included:

• Groundworks and excavation, with new drainage, gullies, linear slot drains and manhole works
• Reinforced in-situ concrete stairs, retaining walls and foundations
• Hard landscaping in concrete paving, tactile paving, and granite-aggregate setts and kerbs
• Heritage stonework, rebuilding and repointing Brownstone walling and laying dressed Pennant stone paving to match the existing villas
• Brick and blockwork planting and retaining walls with stone copings
• Resin-bound and coloured tarmac surfacing to the footpaths and driveway
• Frameless laminated glass balustrades, handrails and gates
• External lighting supply and installation, including recessed LED fittings set into the stone walls
• Street furniture, planters, benches, cycle stands, bollards and tree grilles

Working around a live building

The building was occupied and the surrounding streets stayed in use, so the works were carefully phased and access kept clear at all times. Where the paving programme was extended, EJM laid temporary surfacing to maintain a safe fire-escape route from the building and to protect raised services, keeping the site safe for building users throughout.

The outcome

EJM handed over a finished external realm that blends contemporary paving, lighting and glazed balustrades with restored heritage stone, completing the setting for the University’s Humanities Building.

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The brief

NMCN engaged us as the specialist groundworks, drainage and Section 278 subcontractor on this residential infrastructure scheme off Hambrook Lane, near the Stoke Gifford Bypass. The package covered both the Section 278 works to the adopted highway and the Section 38 adoptable infrastructure serving the development.

What we did

• Site clearance, including hedge and tree removal, demolition of an existing stone wall and taking up of existing kerbs, edgings and tactile paving
• Bulk earthworks: topsoil strip, cut and fill, embankment reprofiling and topsoiling, with arisings retained on site
• Extensive foul and surface water drainage, with vitrified clay and precast concrete pipe runs from 100mm up to 1050mm diameter, precast manholes up to 3600mm diameter and over 7m deep, headwalls, culverts and a 280mm HDPE foul rising main
• Surface water attenuation, including attenuation ponds, large diameter Weholite storage tanks and hydrobrake flow controls
• Reinforced concrete structures, including valve and foul main chambers and feature wall foundations
• Utility ducting and diversions for Wessex Water, Western Power Distribution and BT, plus a new electricity substation base
• Kerbing, footways and paved areas, block paved and concrete carriageways, and new road junction construction

Working around site constraints

The site sat between Hambrook Lane and the Stoke Gifford Bypass, with access constrained throughout, so we established and maintained a temporary haul road off the Stoke Gifford Bypass, together with a site compound and wheel wash, for the duration of the works. Several drainage runs were carried out under reduced six hour working windows and road closures.

The outcome

We handed the completed highway, drainage and civils package back to NMCN, delivering the full scope with our own directly employed teams and plant.

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