Track record

Central Arcade, Leeds

Neighbourly Matters

Service

Retail & Leisure

Industry

Dan Tapscott

The project

Central Arcade is described as a contemporary covered three-storey shopping street with an energetic vibe, lined with trendy stores, and specialist boutiques. It is situated directly opposite Trinity Leeds and embraces Leeds’s shopping heritage for Victorian arcades linking Briggate to Central Road, Leeds Markets and Vicar Lane.

Abutting and immediately to the north of Central Arcade, was the former House of Fraser store site which was being extensively redeveloped into Purpose Built Student Accommodation with 369 rooms plus retail space at ground and basement levels.

The developer had approached the owners of Central Arcade requesting access to facilitate the construction of the flanking parts of the development, which were in close proximity to a large glazed atrium as well as air handling equipment at roof level.

Rapleys’ Neighbourly Matters team was approached to meet with the developer, their contractor and their surveyor to review the proposals in context and to negotiate an access licence.

At the point Rapleys was approached, the development had progressed quite far and so there were time pressures associated with the agreement of the licence to ensure the works could proceed without impacting upon the project programme.

Partner & Head of Neighbourly Matters – Building Consultancy

Dan Tapscott

Rapleys provided professional advice to our client in relation to the negotiation of an access licence to enable the development of a neighbouring property.

Our solution

Rapleys carried out an inspection and met with the developer’s team on site to review the proposals in context and to gain an appreciation of the interrelationship between the respective properties.

At the inspection, Rapleys oversaw the taking of a photographic Schedule of Condition of the relevant external areas at the property that were adjacent to the proposed area of working.

The method of working proposals involved the craning in of materials that would then be fixed to the frame of the building via installers who would abseiling down the elevation. Insurance documentation and the programme was requested.

During the meeting it became apparent that oversailing was already taking place. This oversail was therefore taken into account when calculating the compensation in consideration of the oversail for inclusion within the agreement.

Working with the client’s solicitor, Rapleys reviewed matters from a technical and practical perspective to reach agreement.

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