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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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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In 2014 we were appointed main contractor for Vision North Somerset, a registered charity supporting 1,600 blind and partially sighted people in the area. The build demanded real attention to detail and close client liaison to make sure the finished building worked for its users.

Highlights

• New natural-stone extension providing 51m² of clear open space
• 8m-wide ‘lift and slide’ doors to the rear
• Full underfloor heating linked to an air-source heat pump
• Bespoke, highly flexible lighting: dimmable fluorescents, LED spots, uplighters and flush LED pathfinder lighting to the new access path and ramp
• New ~200m² tarmac driveway and parking
• Bespoke handrailing and balustrade

Accessibility was a key factor in the design of our extension, given that we are a charity providing help to blind people. We wanted to ensure that people with other disabilities could also use the building easily. Our architect Rajeswari Raj and builders EJ McGrath proved to be the ideal team.

We have an old Victorian building, and stone reclaimed from the demolition of old outbuildings was reused to build our new extension. The stonework is amazing and really blends in well with the old building. EJ McGrath really understood our needs: we wanted lots of natural light, and they helped us select the best patio doors for the job, sliding doors rather than bi-folds, because they are more accessible for blind people.

We had very specific needs around lighting, up-lighters to reflect light from the ceiling, dimmable suspended fluorescents, and outside LED lights to provide wayfinding for people with sight loss. Roger, EJ McGrath’s electrician, took all of our demands in his stride, and we have a really flexible system to suit all occasions.

We have had such good feedback from service users and community groups alike, and we are very proud of the end product. It’s all down to listening to each other’s ideas, good teamwork and excellent workmanship.

Celia Henshall, Chief Executive, Vision North Somerset

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