BPA Awards

Project: Ankerside Car Park

Location: Tamworth

Type of Project: Refurbishment

USL StrucutreCare along with asset managers Vale Retail and PWP Consulting contractors have formed a three prong attack to take the 2007 BPA awards by storm. By working together, the three  market leading companies are hoping to take the accolade for Best Refurbishment for there extensive work at the Ankerside Car Park in Tamworth.

Ankerside car park was originally constructed back in the late 1970’s. A further storey was added when an extension to the Shopping Centre was completed in 1990.   

Vale Retail, the asset managers of the shopping centre awarded operation of the car park to Apcoa (formally run by the local council), and decided to initiate a complete refurbishment of all parking bays and pedestrian areas.

 Ankerside shopping centre is the key economic hub of Tamworth and surrounding areas. It is a major commercial resourse for the town as well as a significant provider of employment for local people. The car park is an integral part of the shopping centre and the only multi storey car park in the town, consequently the refurbishment objectives addressed both the car park itself and the wider economic picture.

Objectives:

• To provide customers with a safer, cleaner and more user friendly parking experience.
• To enhance the aesthetic appeal of the parking areas.
• To provide a more streamlined and safer pedestrian management strategy
• To improve the structural serviceability of the car park as a part of a long-term maintenance programme.
• To raise the profile of the attached shopping centre and town centre generally.
• To increase the efficiency of the car park management

Methodology:

The work was timed to begin at the end of May 2006 and reach completion at the end of November 2006 in order to optimise weather conditions and avoid peak trading times.

StructureCare produced a master programme for the project using specific management software. This formed the backbone for the project management of the contact, with progress against plan measured on a fortnightly basis. The programme contained lead in times for certain key trades and also flexibity in the programme items, which may be utilised if necessary.

To minimise disruption, no nore than 30% of all parking bays were taken out of action at any one time.

In addition, key access areas were coated using rapid curing materials, which were appllied overnight to prevent full scale closure of the car park.

As a result the project was completed to schedule and a high standard.

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