St Thomas Centre Refurbishment

Scope

The project involved the refurbishment and repair of the building’s roof and external fabric, including works to the historic stonework and brickwork, roof coverings, tiles, drainage, woodwork and metalwork. Alongside the remedial works, the project also included improvements to permanent roof access arrangements to support safer and more efficient future inspection and maintenance.

The Challenge

A key requirement from Manchester City Council was that the works be completed without traditional scaffolding or other access systems that could provide unauthorised access to the roof.

Lead theft from council-owned buildings had become a significant concern, making the physical security of the roof a major consideration when developing the access strategy. This had to be balanced with the requirements of working on a Grade II listed building and keeping the conference centre operational with minimal disruption to its scheduled activities.

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Our Response

Vertical Access developed a specialist access strategy centred around rope access and work restraint techniques. This provided operatives with safe access to the required areas while avoiding the installation of traditional scaffolding and maintaining the security of the building throughout the project.

Once access was established, the team carried out the extensive programme of refurbishment works across the roof and external elevations. Particular care was taken when working with the building's historic materials, including the repointing of original handmade brickwork using lime mortar and treatment of the tower stonework.

The existing roof coatings were renewed using the Garland White Knight system, providing a long-term waterproofing solution backed by a 20-year guarantee. Ridge tiles were re-bedded, damaged tiles replaced and coping stone joints renewed as part of the wider roof refurbishment.

The project also provided an opportunity to improve future maintenance access. Existing timber roof ladders were removed and replaced with EasiDec roof walkways, while Dunn & Cowe Ridgankas were installed to the roof timbers to provide secure attachment points for future access works.

Careful planning and coordination allowed the works to progress while the conference centre remained operational, with the team working around scheduled activities to minimise disruption to building users.

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Outcome and Feedback

The refurbishment works were successfully completed while allowing the conference centre to remain fully operational, with minimal disruption to scheduled activities throughout the project. The specialist access strategy maintained the security of the building while enabling the team to safely complete the required repairs and improvements to its historic external fabric.

The completed works provided long-term protection to the Grade II listed building and improved permanent access arrangements for future inspection and maintenance.

Throughout the project, the Vertical Access team worked closely with the building management to minimise the impact of the works on staff and visitors. The team was complimented for their courtesy, consideration and care while working within the occupied building.

The project successfully met Manchester City Council’s requirements and, following its delivery, Vertical Access was subsequently appointed to undertake additional works for the Council.