Royton Town Hall was completed in 1880 and the adjoining Library in 1907. The existing library is set to be sub-divided into two distinct areas. The first will form a refurbished library area and next to this, a commercial space to be rented to a local business. Upstairs in the town hall, the existing community room will be refurbished for community use. The project will modernise the building and make it energy efficient and accessible for all users.
Seddon was awarded this project through the Procure Partnerships framework. The project includes the careful demolition of two-storey extensions including pre-cast floors and stair cases, as well as the demolition and remodelling of historic brick facades. We are also undertaking masonry repairs, repointing, roof repairs and associated replacement of lead and rainwater goods. Window replacements and drainage works are also due to be undertaken within the scope of this project.
The internal fit-out will be completed with amended sanitary facilities, the installation of a new platform lift and new building services to ensure the refurbished building will be energy efficient. The decoration and restoration of plaster ceilings internally will be completed, along with associated works and external landscaping activities, including enhancements to the entrance ramp and steps to ensure the building is accessible for the community.
To develop feasible design solutions within our schedule, we organised clash detection workshops using a Revit model of the town hall, complemented by multi-vista 360-degree camera technology and drone footage for inaccessible areas. When it was discovered that traditional scaffolding couldn’t be erected due to basement constraints, we devised a complex temporary propping solution to ensure structural stability during construction.
Preserving the town hall’s historical integrity was paramount to Oldham Council and the Royton Historical Society. Hence, we temporarily enclosed the building in scaffolding to protect it from water damage, while installing a temporary roof to safeguard its internal finishes.
Following a survey revealing condensation damage to internal finishes, Seddon is currently collaborating with the client, supply chain, and design team to identify a sustainable solution. Respecting the building’s heritage, we undertook the careful restoration of its Victorian-style finishes. This included addressing damage to Lincrusta, a Victorian-era wallcovering, caused by the condensation. Seddon ensured the accurate replication of the wallpaper by collaborating with an experienced Lincrusta specialist.
Despite challenges posed by the town centre’s limited space and surrounding buildings, we efficiently managed deliveries by utilising the available area behind the town hall, minimising disruptions to the local businesses, public services nearby and the general public.
Seddon prides itself to deliver social value to communities across all our projectsand leave a lasting impression on the communities we work in.As members of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter, we understand the importance of raising standards within employment, benefitting people and society. Delivering opportunities to people in local communities is key within Seddon’s values, so at Royton Town Hall, we provided a permanent, full-time position for an individual in the local area as a Safety Champion.
To inspire future industry talent and to support people joining the construction industry, we organised industry placements for two students. Attending for 9 weeks with a combined total of 720 hours, Seddon have provided two young people a great opportunity to gain vital, first-hand experience of the construction industry. Thirty-six learners studying T-Level Design, Surveying and Planning, were provided a guided tour of the site with our project team, delivering a unique experience to further their learning.
Promoting sustainable approaches is key throughout our projects, the team have offered advice regarding our decarbonisation credentials, being one of two contractors in the North West holding a PAS2038 accreditation. We understand the importance of protecting architectural and cultural heritage as well as improving a building’s functionality, usability, and durability.
The project benefits from a collaborative nature, with weekly meetings taking place with the design team and the client. This allowed discussions for solutions to challenges within the existing building, design, and minimising scope creep whilst maximising the effectiveness of the refurbishment.
The project will be delivered meeting the client’s budget, all whilst delivering the full project objectives ensuring the town hall is restored to its former glory.
We achieved a local spend of 100%; all 14 subcontract orders were placed with companies within 30 miles on site. Employing locally has also helped minimise our environmental impact, the team sharing and using our fleet of low emission vehicles, reducing our carbon footprint further.
Promoting excellent health, safety and wellbeing standards is paramount on site, by ensuring the site team to follow our simple but effective health and safety management system, we recorded 0 RIDDORS and 0 accidents to date. Combining the collaborative nature of the project, our strong KPI performance, and the team’s ability to successfully overcome challenges, we will successfully handover the project within budget and within the agreed completion date of September 2024.
