Swansgate Car Park

Introduction

The existing Swansgate car park located in Wellingborough needed a series of repairs to extend the life of the car park and ensure sustainability for the future. Part of extending the life of the car park included expanding the number of car parking spaces available.

As this project was to commence in a live environment it became crucial to complete the project as safely and swiftly as possible. Completed in just 10 months, Morgan Sindall Construction procured the project through the Scape Regional Construction Framework, which allows for project planning through early contractor engagement and therefore has both economic and cost benefits.

With previous anti-social behaviour being prevalent in the car park there was improved lighting and CCTV to aid in tackling this. Four of the parking bays will include electric charging points to support the demand for low emission cars all in preparation for a carbon neutral society by 2050.

The project also included refurbishment to the toilets, upgrading the fire alarm and sprinkler system and fitting secure doors at the street level parking. The car park will support the residents of Wellingborough and enhance their experience in the shopping centre by ensuring a safer visit and more accessibility to parking spaces.

Our approach

The team aimed to complete the project to a standard which would fully satisfy our client, Borough Council of Wellingborough. The option to renovate the existing car park as opposed to commissioning a new build was preferred for the client as this was more efficient and cost effective. As the site remained open throughout the 10-month programme, it was crucial to ensure the works were completed with as little disruption to customers as possible. As a result, it was agreed to split the repairs and refurbishment into phases.

The team faced challenges resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and it required innovative working methods to ensure the project was completed within the agreed timescales. Repairs to the concrete frame where the reinforced rebar had begun to corrode caused the concrete to split in over 2,000 places. Typically, to rectify this it would require a three-person team to work closely. However, the mandated social distancing policy meant this would be compromised. The team dealt with this by involving high-pressure water jets, which can be operated individually to break the concrete.

To safeguard its sustainability for the future, the car park had been stripped back and extensive concrete repairs and sacrificial anodes had been installed to stop corrosion of the rebar.

Social impact

The team supported the local community by completing a poppy appeal for the Royal British Legion at the Wellingborough shopping centre. Altogether £2,657.95 was raised with collaboration of the Morgan Sindall Construction team and supply chain partners.

Morgan Sindall Construction also supported the local community by employing 12 local people on contract for one year or more which contributed £345,383.58 in social value

Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE - “To have completed work on this essential community asset, which will encourage the recovery of local businesses, is testament to the skill and commitment of Morgan Sindall Construction, alongside the vision of the Council, in this most challenging of years.

The completion of Swansgate Car Park demonstrates the value of direct award frameworks when it comes to procuring projects at speed, which will be critical for those councils looking to regenerate communities as part of the national economic recovery.

Councillor Martin Griffiths, Leader of the Council - I’m proud that we are continuing to invest in our town centre to ensure that Wellingborough is an attractive place for residents and visitors to spend time with family and friends shopping and socialising, when COVID-19 restrictions allow.

I am sure that the refurbishment of the Swansgate multi-storey car park will be popular both with visitors and businesses, providing the community with a better experience all round. A much cleaner, safer and more attractive place to park, now and in the future.

I would also like to put on record my admiration for the way this project has been managed from start to finish by the contactors Morgan Sindall Construction and officers of the council during what has been a very difficult time for each and every one of us.