News

Demolition of Leisure World for Associated British Ports

HWM Group were pleased to win the contract to demolish the old Leisure World site in Southampton working with their client, ABP Port of Southampton, to prepare the site in line with Southampton City Council’s ambitious long-term vision and redevelopment plans for a leisure and socially focused waterfront balancing Southampton’s commercial marine and port heritage.  

The site will initially become a temporary car park for both the cruise terminal and import/export vehicles, while the longer term plans to develop the site as part of the Mayflower Quarter development come forward.

The current site structure was originally built for Pirelli Cables and then became a storage facility before being transformed to a multiplex cinema and leisure complex. The site structure was mainly steel construction with partitioned sections using masonry constructed walls, mezzanine levels and concrete floor slabs. HWM Group minimised disruption by working back from the south portside up to West Quay Road while retaining the attached Grosvenor Casino and parking area fronting the dual carriageway.

HWM Group’s civil engineering unit strengthened the steel works within the Leisure World structure immediately where the warehouse wall adjoins the Grosvenor Casino so the surrounding structure could be demolished around it whilst making good with new external cladding once exposed.

The project was delivered on time in 16 weeks and HWM Group removed and recycled 98 per cent of the steel, concrete and cabling, reducing the site to the original ground level slab.  

With live services in the port and along West Quay Road, HWM Group were meticulous in the planning of all transport movements and provided dust suppression. Where feasible, concrete was crushed and repurposed for levels across the site which reduced lorry movements and associated costs.

Adam Blake, Director, said, “The Leisure World demolition contract shows that our group experience as a local company across demolition, waste handling and civil engineering has been recognised for our local expertise and the resources we can readily bring to projects of this size and scope.“

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