Bridgewater Place owners to pay £903,000 for costs of wind disruption
THE owner of Bridgewater Place has agreed to pay Leeds City Council £903,000 to cover the costs of the wind-related safety measures that have been put in around the skyscraper.
The payment includes the cost of having to close the road junction around the building during high winds on a relatively frequent basis.
Future high winds protocol-related costs incurred by the council will also be met as work takes place by CPPI’s contractors to install a complex design solution to the wind issues. The contractual indemnity guarantees full reimbursement without dispute or delay.
However the costs are only payable either by September 25, 2019, or when the owners sell the freehold to the building, whichever comes first.
The owner, CPPI Bridgewater Place, has hired Lendlease, the firm that handled the original construction of the building, to start the wind mitigation scheme around the city centre building.
Work is set to start at Bridgewater Place in January to deliver the plans that were approved by Leeds City Council in November 2014.
Work will take 16 months and include the erection of wind baffles across Water Lane with vertical screens and canopies to the building.
Nick Sinfield from CPPI said: “Since receiving planning permission in November 2014, CPPI has been working with Leeds City Council to bring the wind mitigation scheme for Bridgewater Place forward as quickly as possible.
“We underwent a complex and lengthy tendering process to find a suitable contractor for this unique project. It was incredibly important to us that we found the right contractor for the job and I’m pleased that work will be able to start in January.
“As the firm was involved in the original construction of the building, we feel Lendlease are best placed to take the plans forward as they know the scheme and have an understanding of the building and its history. The scheme has been developed to promote and improve safety for all, significantly reducing wind speeds surrounding the building.
Preparatory works are set to start in January 2017, with piling activity scheduled for the following month. As a result, Water Lane will be closed for approximately twelve weeks.
It has been dubbed “the Dalek” and is Yorkshire’s tallest building. Current tenants include DWF, Eversheds, BDO, EY and ghd.
