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Planning Granted for new Cricket facilities in Bradford

The second ECB Urban Cricket Centre is one step closer to reality having been granted planning approval earlier this month.

Working with existing buildings is rarely straight forward and that was the case with this project in Bradford. In December 2020 we submitted designs to planning for two new cricket lanes and other community facilities at Parkside Sports Centre. During the planning process a huge attenuation tank was discovered beneath the proposed site which tested the project’s viability and ruled out large sections of the site for construction. With a bit of creativity and lots of design reviews, we managed to come up with a viable alternative which positioned the cricket lanes at first floor level, cantilevered out in front of the existing building as a prominent advert for cricket.

As a Bradfordian this has been a fantastic project to work on and it is very encouraging to see the ECB investing in urban areas with such incredible potential but limited existing facilities. This is what the ECB Urban Cricket Centre Initiative was set up to do, and hopefully projects like this will continue to pop up across the UK in coming years.

by Matt Bonney, Project Architect, gcp Chartered Architects

Planning application submitted for the development of 10 new affordable homes in Station Road, Holt

The site presents an opportunity for the positive use of land abutting an established settlement, in the interests of sustainable development. The design of the scheme responds fully to the site context, whilst contributing to the long-term social sustainability of the neighbourhood.

The proposed new homes are arranged around a central green space, while frontages of the buildings are creating an enclosure, overlooking the shared space. As a result, the shared open space will benefit from passive surveillance, defining an inclusive safe space for people to meet and socialise. The new housing will be designed aiming to meet the Passivhaus standard, offering energy efficient homes that provide excellent indoor comfort levels. The scheme is also designed to exceed the Nationally Described Space Standards, providing a homeworking space in all units.

Residential Tower Blocks: Ensuring Building Safety Through Collaboration

 

In summer 2018 gcp were appointed by Rateavon Ltd to assist in the refurbishment of Spencer & Norton Houses in Redcliffe. This was the latest in a series of projects for Bristol City Council’s Major Projects team (BCCMP) which looked to regenerate their housing stock. Historically these works consisted of giving the buildings a face lift and improving thermal performance by insulating external walls and roofs, and replacing doors and windows. The brief for Spencer & Norton Houses was no different, but the path to delivery changed with the amendment to Building Regulation Approved Document B in November 2018.

This amendment was the first major change to regulation following publication of the Hackitt Report in May 2018. The amendment stated that:

“New regulation 7(2) of the Building Regulations 2010 applies to any building with a storey at least 18m above ground level… Regulation 7(2) requires that all materials which become part of an external wall or specified attachment achieve European Class A2-s1, d0 or Class A1 except for components exempted in Regulation 7(3).”

For those unfamiliar with the Euroclass system the first category A1/A2/B/…/F relates to combustibility, with classes ranging from F (untested) to A1 (non-combustible). Materials which achieve a combustibility rating between D and A2 can then be sub-divided by two other criteria, ‘s’ for smoke propagation and ‘d’ for flaming droplets. In each case the lower the number the better the material has performed. Just to add to the confusion ‘s’ rankings range from 1-3, whilst ‘d’ rankings range from 0-2. For a product to be suitable for installation on an external wall it needs to be non-combustible, produce little or no smoke and produce no flaming droplets, A2-s1, d0 or A1.

This requirement was long overdue and highlighted a section of the ‘golden thread’ which had previously been missing. The design team now had to identify all elements which formed part of the external wall and contact suppliers/manufacturers to confirm that these products are either exempt under Regulation 7(3) or have a fire test certificate proving the performance against fire.

The project at Spencer & Norton Houses was one of the first high rise residential developments to incur these new regulations. Initially it was clear that this was a shock to the industry and many manufacturers either did not have fire test certificates or these certificates were out of date. In one instance the design team chose to organize its own fire test to be completely sure that the new balcony panels would be suitable.

Being at the front of the curve in tackling these changes was certainly challenging but through close collaboration with the design team and Bristol City Council Building Control we identified a solution and implemented this strategy to satisfy the Building Regulations. Now we have a method in place the process will only get easier as we continue to work on BCCMP’s remaining housing stock.

Whilst these standards are currently only enforceable for buildings over 18m, it is likely that further amendments will see these requirements spread to a wider group of buildings. We are already seeing early adoption across housing association projects where clients will not permit external wall materials which do not achieve European Class A2-s1, d0 or Class A1.

Recommendations from the Hackitt Report will likely drive change throughout the construction industry in coming years. This change is vital in ensuring our existing and proposed housing stock is safe and suitable for all. Information management will form a key part of this process, but this is nothing new to the construction industry. We already have the tools to make the necessary improvements. We just need an industry wide change of mindset to prioritise building safety during procurement, design and construction.