Property briefs: PP O’Connor; Trafford Town Hall; Taylor Wimpey; Manchester Fort
IRLAM-based demolition specialist PP O’Connor removed a timber and steel footbridge from the 134-year-old Altrincham railway station on Sunday.
The photograph shows one of the two bridge sections being lifted and removed.
The bridge weighed approximately 30 tonnes and was moved using a 700-tonne capacity crane. The process involved a team of 38 working over two shifts.
A replacement footbridge has already been installed by Laing O’Rourke as part of the £19m redevelopment of the station. The removed footbridge was processed on site and fully recycled.
Managing director Peter O’Connor said: “Working at night with a large crane over railway lines is always a major challenge but it is testament to our team at PP O’Connor the works completed on time without a hitch.”
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TAYLOR Wimpey has secured planning approval for 180 homes in Oakmere Road, Winsford.
The development is the first phase of a 475-home scheme.
Taylor Wimpey was advised by Manchester-based HOW Planning.
HOW’s Chris Sinton said: “Taylor Wimpey has considerable expertise in delivering high quality residential developments throughout the north west and is once again committed to creating a lasting, sustainable community which will benefit Winsford.”
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A BOOK chronicling the journey to restore and redevelop Trafford’s grade II-listed town hall has been published.
Photographer and author Len Grant was given free access to the building, council staff, architects and builders before, during and after construction to tell the story of the transformation.
He said: “When the original town hall was built they kept lots of paper documents to
mark its development but in this digital age of CAD drawings and e-mail there will be no dusty records for people to look back on.
“My aim was to create a permanent record but add a human level to the process of by telling it through the eyes of the people who were most closely involved. It was a delightful project to work on and the end result is a wonderful building which has transformed people’s attitudes and the way they work.”
The book’s title “All That Is Good” is based on Trafford Borough Council’s motto “Prove all things: hold fast that which is good” and the project was jointly funded by 5plus Architects and the contractors Shepherd Construction.
The new town hall which links the refurbished original to a new glass building has won a clutch of Awards including RIBA NW Regional Award 2014 and RIBA NW Sustainable Building of the year 2014.
5plus director Paul Norbury said: “This was a large and complex project over two years and it is really lovely to be able to look back on the difference it has made, not just to the physical landscape but to people’s daily lives.”
Copies of the book will be available to read in the Town Hall reception area and to borrow from libraries across the borough.
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THE building consultancy team at JLL in Manchester has been appointed as project manager for a £1.3m redevelopment project at Manchester Fort by TIAA Henderson Real Estate.
The 325,000 sq ft site has 36 units, with tenants including B&Q, Argos, Boots and TK Maxx, and a 1,400-space car park.
JLL has been appointed to project manage the works which include construction of a new 2,873 sq ft McDonalds and car park.
Nick Currie, director, building consultancy at JLL, said: “The site’s expansion highlights the ongoing success of retail sites on the periphery of town centres and the project will further Manchester Fort’s appeal with consumers around the region.”
