Keynsham Riverside Leisure

Client
Bath & North East Somerset Council
Contractor
Value
£8.5m
Completion Date
September 2019

The Challenge

The Riverside buildings, constructed in the 1970’s, are a complex arrangement of multiple uses spread over 7 storeys from the parkland swimming pool on the lower levels to retail offering on the street level and offices above.

The project is to be undertaken and be completed with the Leisure Centre remaining operational. With the works being completed with the leisure centre remaining operational, a significant amount of thought and engagement with the Employer was required to understand how we would safely phase the works, ensuring that key centre activities could remain operational during the build.

A further challenge to the works was the site logistics; maintaining continued access around the perimeter of the site and to the operational retail units on the ground floor of the office block which is being converted to residential apartments.

The Solution

The project is to be undertaken and be completed with the Leisure Centre remaining operational Early contractor engagement during the PCSA ensured we worked collaboratively with the leisure centre operator – GLL and B&NES.

The phased programme of works was agreed to achieve the objective, maximising the operational capability of the Leisure Centre and Construction programme.

Key to the proposals is maintaining the existing stair cores for circulation and the provision of extra floor space through the conversion of the existing Snooker Hall and extension of the pool area. This ensured that member of the public using the existing facility were segregated from Construction activities.

The finished building is divided into three main parts due to the land’s topography and the requirement for separate spaces: two ceremony spaces with ancillary rooms, and a private ‘back of house’ building for technical equipment, support, and welfare facilities. The new facility has designs inspired by the landscape, where the buildings nestle into the slope of the site.

The Results

To overcome this challenge, the works were phased to the new gym and welcome area on the ground floor as the first activity, whilst the existing pool below remained open. This approach ensured that the Employer had a continued stream of income from its two main sources – the gym and the pool, throughout the construction period. The phasing enabled the handover of the new gym, enabling this to become operational. The project team then took occupation of the existing pool to complete the refurbishment of this area.

£3m

SME Spend

Client Testimonials

Contractor Performance | Commitments

Legacy

Throughout the duration of the project, we completed: Launched the first cohort of Hard Hat Ready, the first 4-week programme focused on bringing the unemployed into employment based on a live site in partnership with Seetec Plus. 31 learners took part in the programme, 30 gained CSCS cards, 28 progressed into employment and/ or apprenticeship opportunities.

Community Engagement: Throughout the duration of the project, we completed: Kier volunteers dedicated their time to maintaining Weston Mill Cemetery and Efford Crematorium, working through challenging conditions to clear litter and debris from graves and tend to the garden of remembrance. This effort reinforced our commitment to social value, complementing the construction of the new crematorium by supporting the local community and its surroundings.

Kier supported YMCA Plymouth through initiatives like the young girls’ mentoring programme and the “Pledge to Paint” campaign, which renovated two classrooms that hadn’t been updated in over 20 years. These efforts empowered local youth and improved educational spaces, highlighting Kier’s dedication to creating lasting social value in the community.

Sustainability

Collaborating with the design team and creating a detailed cut and fill model greatly reduced surplus excavation carted away to landfill, saving traffic movements, carbon emissions, time, and costs. The landscaping design was wildlife friendly, incorporating wildflower meadows and tree planting. Efforts were made to maximise retention of existing hedgerows and achieve an ecological net gain of over 10%. This had to be sympathetically done whilst incorporating suitable external features and space for memorialisation’s.

This project included an extensive SUDs system with associate ponds and included the diversion of an existing watercourse that was enhanced with native planting and bridged. A foul treatment plant was installed to save time and cost by avoiding the need to connect to existing offsite main drainage infrastructure.

The carbon footprint of the building was reduced by producing renewable energy on site and reducing the power consumption of the building. This has been done by installing a substantial solar arrangement to the rear of the main building, and installing LED lighting installed throughout the premises. Additionally, electric vehicle (EV) charging points have been installed in the car parks.

Safe

Zero RIDDORS

CCS Score 40/45

Aftercare

Soft landings for handover

Dedicated Morgan Sindall point of contact

On-line portal for notifying any defects with 3 priority categories for response times

Fair

100% payment within 30 days terms