Commercial: South Quay, Pembroke

A number of buildings on Castle Terrace and Northgate Street, Pembroke, had been identified as presenting risks to public safety and needed urgent repair and stabilisation. Proposals were therefore finalised to instigate works that would prevent further weather ingress and safeguard the structures to address these risks. The work would also allow safe access to carry out further survey work to record internal features, which were at the time inaccessible to inform detailed proposals for future refurbishment.

Working with the novated Design Team, CADW, Ecologist and Archaeologist we completed the first phase of the project i.e. the safe and significant demolition of parts of the properties in Castle Terrace and 8 Northgate Street along with substantial materials contaminated by asbestos. On completion of these works the rear elevations of 4 and 5 Castle Street were rebuilt, a new roof structure/covering installed and restoration/upgrading works to the front façade. This work was completed under the guidance and advice of CADW and our Design Team members.

4 and 5 Castle Terrace were a pair of Grade II listed late Georgian town houses constructed in the 19th Century, each with a basement cellar and had been damaged by fire and left derelict. Vandalism and weather ingress had resulted in serious degradation of the fabric with much of the roof and internal floor structures having collapsed. 7 Northgate was a Grade II listed 19th Century residence. 6 Castle Terrace, the former GP Surgery and 8 Northgate were not listed.

The garden areas of Numbers 4, 5 and 6 Castle Street were terraced, sloping downwards from Castle Terrace towards South Quay. They contained numerous stone boundary walls, some of considerable height with the boundaries following the burgage plots laid out in the medieval period. The walls themselves were significant historic assets.

Of all the projects we have undertaken in the past 30 years, the safe demolition of these properties proved the most challenging. Our team supported by specialist sub-contractors worked tirelessly with the client and all stakeholders in undertaking these works to an exceptionally high standard whilst working in extremely difficult and pressurised environments particularly during the inclement weather that was experienced over the winter months.

Pembrokeshire County Council - South West Wales Regional Framework

The project posed significant challenges and risks in terms of Health, Safety and Confined Space Working. The properties were in close proximity of Pembroke Castle and its surrounding walls, which are listed, and encompassed our works area and site set up. Due to the challenges presented we were instrumental along with the design team and other stakeholders in identifying and adopting innovative solutions to undertake the works to ensure the listed buildings were protected as far as practicable from the demolition works being completed on the non-listed areas. L&G developed a method for the removal of waste material from the building over the listed walls. This involved a purpose made scaffolding incorporating a conveyer system to disperse into skips via chutes. This involved the installation of scaffolding over the listed castle walls with a conveyer removing the materials into chutes leading to the skips located in the designated waste compound in the car park. A specialist propping was designed to the vaulted ceiling of the basement to protect it during the demolition process due to its Archaeological importance.

A major consideration was the fact the buildings were positioned in a busy commercial and residential area with continual access being required to these buildings along with the nearby Castle tourist attraction. Health & safety management on the project was therefore paramount and was adequately resourced to reflect this.

There were Ecological issues associated with the project which were completed under licence. Which included works to accommodate common & soprano pipistrelle and brown long eared bats,

Due to the precarious nature of the buildings asbestos surveys had been completed but were limited with asbestos having been identified as present in the areas that were accessible.
Due to the condition of the buildings, an Asbestos Watch was undertaken by a licenced contractor to monitor the waste being removed from all premises with arrangements being made for the testing of any suspicious materials identified.

Due to the timescale involved in organising the works for Northgate Street, i.e. outside the bird nesting season the felling of the trees at the rear elevation were included in the scope of works during the enabling works to avoid any impact on the re-development works.