Track record

New University of Bristol ‘Enterprise Campus’

Neighbourly Matters

Party Walls

Service

Education

Transport & Infrastructure

Industry

The project

Rapleys acted as Party Wall Surveyors on the University of Bristol’s new £0.5bn enterprise campus development which is situated adjacent to Bristol Temple Meads Railway Station. It is a development that will kick start a significant regeneration of the area including an overhaul of the Brunel station itself.

As a key regional hub, Network Rail were keen to appoint a knowledgeable locally based Party Wall Surveyor. Network Rail advertised the opportunity on social media and thanks to his local reputation, Dan Tapscott’s name was put in the frame.

The project triggered the provisions of the Act, primarily due to proposed piling (and other associated works) immediately adjacent to one of the railway platforms. The works had the potential to cause concerns to Network Rail and potentially their passengers. For example, excessive noise could lead to announcements not being heard.

The availability of relevant information, size of the project team, combined with the programme timescales meant that swift action was needed in order to liaise with the team, review matters, raise queries and interrogate thereafter before negotiating and agree the Party Wall Award in good time just prior to the commencement of the works.

With the number of stakeholders this was a challenging process but one our surveyor was up for!

Our solution

Rapleys met with Network Rail’s team initially to gain an understanding of the extensive historic discussions which had taken place between the two organisations and to make clear the remit of the Act and the role of the Party Wall Surveyor.

Rapleys then organised a meeting with the University’s Party Wall Surveyor who invited support staff and the wider project team. 5 aspects of notifiable work were identified during the course of the project programme which Rapleys undertook a detailed review of whilst coordinating the undertaking of a photographic Schedule of Condition at Temple Meads Station.

Rapleys engaged in extensive exchanges with the University’s Party Wall Surveyors support team, redrafting and publishing the Award enabling the notifiable works to proceed. The Award allowed for additional site inspections during the course of the works and itemised additional information needing to be presented to the surveyors for their consideration and approval, at key stages.

At its heart, the process ensures that Network Rail’s property and occupiers should not experience ‘undue inconvenience’ during the course of this sizeable development that is situated within close proximity to the busy station.