Hillsborough Meeting House
In October 2012, Tate Stevenson carried out a condition report and a costed schedule of repairs totalling £55k. This included an option for a small standalone new build toilet block/store, simply detailed and finished in complimentary materials designed to have minimum impact on the layout of the existing building.
In February 2016 we held a site pre-application discussion with the NIEA conservation officer for the area and reviewed the proposed design and specification of the works. The meeting resulted in no major changes and minor details were amended prior to lodging the Planning Application & Listed building Consent Application at the end March 2016.
Planning approval and Listed Building Consent was granted in May 2017 and due to budgetary constraints the client instructed us to proceed with the detailed drawings, specifications and tender documentation for only the repair work to the meeting house.
The project was priced by a select contractors that we vetted for suitable conservation experience and in October 2017 Noel Burns Contractor was appoint for the project.
The work on site included like for like repairs, following chemical analysis, to the internal lime plaster, repairs to the wood panelling and new decorations. The contract also included new electrics, fire alarm, positive input ventilation units, and oil fired central heating with cast iron radiators. Careful detailing ensured that all service runs and conduits were hidden from view and that the boiler was located externally in the new store. Other fit out works involved bespoke design for a ‘free standing’ kitchette and larder unit to provide catering facilities for the smaller meeting room.
Externally, the works included repairs to the existing sash windows, replacement of several broken panes with cylinder glass, fitting of rebated draft seals and redecorations. Spot repairs to the roof, cast iron guttering and downpipes, and pointing repairs was also carried out.
The project was complete in March 2017 within the client’s budget and the meeting house reopened to the public the following month.