Building services company J Tomlinson releases time lapse video of new ambulance station

A time lapse video showing the construction of a new community ambulance station for West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) has been unveiled by construction services company J Tomlinson.

The 90-second video shows the building at Etruria Valley, Stoke-on-Trent, taking shape over 32 weeks.

Appointed by St. Modwen to build the station, J Tomlinson recently handed over the 18,865 sq ft development. WMAS has since re-located from Penkhull to the purpose-built hub facility and community ambulance station, allowing the expansion of the service to meet the needs of Stoke’s growing population.

Martin Gallagher, managing director (construction) at Nottingham-based contractor J Tomlinson, said: “J Tomlinson was very pleased to have been appointed by St. Modwen to build the new ambulance facility serving the North Staffordshire community. This is the latest emergency services building that we have constructed and follows an award-winning new fire station in Nottingham completed last year for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service. It is also the third scheme we have constructed for St. Modwen.

“In addition, it also continued our existing relationship with West Midlands Ambulance Service, for whom we currently maintain 92 sites in the region. We are delighted to have now handed over the facility.

“It’s fascinating to watch the project taking shape from start to finish in just 90 seconds in our time lapse video.”

The new station is being used mainly for the maintenance and preparation of ambulance vehicles, including the repair, cleaning, re-stock and storage of ambulances and supplies, ensuring that ambulances are stocked and ready to go at the start of a shift. Part of the building also provides offices along with training space and facilities for staff.

The facility is located at St. Modwen’s Etruria Valley Business Park development, and joins major companies including Vodafone, DPD and Bet365. Etruria Valley is strategically located off the A53 dual carriageway and within 400 metres of the A500 urban expressway, linking Stoke to junctions 15 and 16 on the M6. 

Euan Lindsay, Development Manager at St. Modwen, said: “It’s great to see the project completed and WMAS now operational at Etruria Valley; like our other occupiers, they have found an ideal location, with easy access to the A500, the comprehensive facilities at Festival Park and the city centre.

“We are seeing significant ongoing investment in Etruria Valley and look forward to further developments coming on stream.”

J Tomlinson, which is based at Beeston near Nottingham, and operates across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire, provides a range of integrated building solutions including construction, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical services (M&E), and facilities management.

For more details, visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Completion of new £3.7m Nottingham fire station

Station Manager Andy Lindley and J Tomlinson Construction Manager Jim Hardie

The team behind the construction of a new £3.7m fire station in Nottingham has handed over the development to Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Following a year-long building project on site, contractor J Tomlinson has completed work on the three-storey building in London Road, which will use less than a quarter of the energy of the fire station it is replacing - significantly reducing carbon emissions.

The development of the new fire station has been a Nottinghamshire project from start to finish, involving a number of key Nottingham companies.

It was designed by city architects CPMG, constructed by Nottingham-based J Tomlinson, and project managed by CPMG’s client, the Nottingham office of Turner & Townsend. Structural engineer Curtins and mechanical and electrical consultants Couch Perry Wilkes from the city also played key roles in the development, which houses three fire engine bays, modern training facilities, including a tower, and office space for Nottingham City Council’s Emergency Planning Team. 

The new fire station will replace the iconic Central Fire Station which has served the city centre and surrounding area since the 1940s. 

Built to significantly exceed efficiency standards through the use of smart lighting, insulation, and solar panels on the roof, it is also linked to the Nottingham City District Heating System, which provides a low carbon fuel source to homes and businesses in the city using energy recovered from waste.

It has been designed so that heating in the appliance bay will automatically cut out when the appliance bay doors are open.

Martin Gallagher, construction managing director for J Tomlinson, said: “J Tomlinson works on construction projects across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire, but it is always pleasing to be involved in a high-profile project in our home city of Nottingham, especially when it is something as important for the community as a new fire station.

“The year-long build has gone smoothly and to plan, and we are delighted and proud to have handed over a new, state-of-the-art facility to Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service on time and on budget.”

Aiden Bell, architect for CPMG, said: “As a Nottingham-based firm, the London Road Fire Station is clearly a project close to our hearts and one which we’re delighted to have designed. The three-storey building complements the city’s south side regeneration plans and meets the needs of a modern emergency service, fit for the future. 

“As well as providing vital services to the people of Nottingham, the building’s energy efficient features will save the fire service money and will provide state-of-the-art facilities for training and our firefighters.” 

Peter Orton, director, Turner & Townsend Nottingham, said: “Being involved in this project is something we’re immensely proud of. We have been involved since 2013. Throughout this time, we have worked closely with Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, acting as lead consultant and providing project management, cost management and design services. It’s exciting to now see this state-of-the-art facility come to life.”

Councillor Darrel Pulk, chair of Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “London Road Fire Station has been purpose built for a modern fire service and I am delighted that the project has been delivered on time and to a high specification.

“I am looking forward to the next phase of the project which will see fire crews from Nottingham’s Central Fire Station rehome here in early September before the station’s official opening.

“The new station has been built to significantly exceed efficiency standards through the use of smart lighting, insulation and solar panels and I am pleased that handover has been completed and accepted which means that the final stages of the project can begin.”

The London Road fire station has been built in collaboration with Nottingham City Council.

Press release issued by Nottingham based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk 

Success for Carlton Fire Station delights Focus Consultants and BSP Consulting

Two Nottingham companies are celebrating after a local fire station received an award for being the most sustainable new fire station in the country.

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service’s new £3.2m fire station at Carlton picked up the accolade at the BREEAM 2013 Building Awards.

The award was presented to the team including Focus Consultants, based at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, who designed and project managed the development in Manor Road.

Civil and structural engineer BSP Consulting, whose head office is in Oxford Street, Nottingham, was also part of the development team involved in demolishing the former fire station and creating a new purpose-built station featuring three appliance bays, a fire kit room, a laundry, unisex changing pods, offices, a gym, a quiet room, kitchen and dining area and an e-learning suite. The site also has a new five-storey tower with two-storey training building to enable realistic training to be undertaken.

The fire station was awarded a BREEAM excellent rating for its environmental credentials, and has now been named as one of 17 winning buildings at the BREEAM Awards, which were presented at this year’s Ecobuild Conference in London.

Its green credentials include timber cladding, stone blocks and a ‘green’ sedum roof. It also has energy efficient heating and cooling, low flush toilets and restricted flow rate taps, plus a water treatment and recirculation system in the vehicle wash area to both minimise water usage and the potential for watercourse pollution.

High levels of insulation to the building, coupled with energy efficient heating and cooling, has resulted in a community building delivering key services but with lower operational running costs.

Other ‘green’ features of the development included a travel plan to limit car usage and encourage cycling, with bike spaces and cyclist facilities provided and careful consideration to scheme planting working with an ecologist to maximize wildlife support. A robust site waste management plan was implemented during construction, to keep waste to a minimum through procedures to reduce and recycle, and at least 80% of the waste generated was diverted from landfill.

Focus Consultants associate and BREEAM assessor Jason Redfearn said: “We are extremely pleased that Carlton Fire Station has been rewarded for its sustainability and has been identified under the BREEAM assessment process as the ‘greenest’ new fire station built within the last year.

“BREEAM is the world's foremost environmental assessment method and rating system for buildings. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable building design, construction and operation, and has become one of the most comprehensive and widely recognised measures of a building's environmental performance.

“BREEAM Awards are made annually to the highest scoring building assessments certified under BREEAM Schemes in the preceding calendar year, and it’s a feather in the cap for the whole team that Carlton Fire Station received this accolade in the fire station category.”

Focus was involved throughout the project, providing a multi-disciplinary role, which included architectural design and employer’s agent as well as BREEAM and Energy Assessor services. BSP Consulting provided structural design, including pile and ground beam design, remediation of a heavily contaminated site, produced a flood risk assessment and carried out civil infrastructure design and drainage work.

BSP managing director David Sumner said: “BSP Consulting is delighted to hear of the success of the Carlton Fire Station project in the BREEAM Awards.”

Contractor for the scheme was Bowmer & Kirkland Building Services.

Ian Pritchard, head of procurement and estates for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Achieving BREEAM for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service demonstrates our continuing commitment to minimise our impact on the environment. This is a community fire station with the express intention to integrate into the local community and in doing so lead by example.”

Ecobuild is the world’s biggest event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment and brings together communities to learn, share, experience and discover the future of sustainable building and construction.  

For more information visit www.focus-consultants.co.uk or www.bsp-consulting.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk