It is not unusual for a demolition contractor to feel that he is being watched by the local authority.   But with the council’s office located just a few metres away, Southern Demolition Co. Ltd’s recent demolition of Runnymede Borough Council’s old Civic Offices and Addlestone Police Station in Surrey, the company really was under intense scrutiny.

Southern Demolition Co. Ltd (SDC), the Surrey-based demolition contractor, has recently completed the controlled demolition of the Runnymede Council Civic Offices and the nearby Police Station. Described by locals as unsightly and unwelcoming, the buildings had reached the end of their useful lives. With demolition of the old structures and a subsequent sharing of facilities in a new RIBA award- winning building considered to be the only viable option, Southern Demolition was called in to tackle what appeared to be a relatively straightforward dismantling task.

Asbestos and Fallout Shelters

However, as the demolition team soon found out, there was also the matter of a large amount of asbestos in the old Police Station, together with the need to cause the minimum possible disruption to the new Civic Office, Police Station and Library.

“Our Type 3 survey which quickly revealed that an eight week programme of asbestos removal would be required in the Police Station before any structural demolition could take place,” says Southern Demolition’s Operations Director Keith Prangnell.   But the presence of asbestos in the Police Station was the least of the problems on the site.   “The Civic Offices and Police Station were located in the heart of Addlestone town centre, very close to a nearby school and just a few metres away from the new Civic Office building, both of which attract a large number of pedestrians,” Keith says.   “We therefore had to work with the minimum of noise and dust, restricting our noisy works to just two periods of two hours per day to minimise the disturbance to local workers and residents.”   Keith reports that all arisings from the demolition were processed on site, partly to minimise the number of vehicle movements on and off site but also to provide suitable backfill material for a Cold War bunker beneath the Civic Offices.   The remainder of the processed material has been stockpiled for use in the future development of the site.

Constant Scrutiny

Despite the asbestos and restricted working hours, Southern Demolition Co. Ltd started work on the 18 week contract in January this year and finished at the end of May, within the allotted and agreed contract period.

 

Keith continues, “In our customer satisfaction report, Runnymede Council described our overall performance as excellent and commented that “(we) dealt with adjoining  property owners in an efficient and professional manner.” “

 

“From the moment we arrived on site, we were very aware of the presence of the Civic Offices and the fact that we would be under constant scrutiny,” concludes Keith.   “But we put the correct dust and noise control measures in place and, in truth, the local authority was totally supportive throughout the contract.”

Press Release prepared by Mark Anthony Publicity.  Tel:  0871 223 0390