Member Article

Electrical contractor completes complex revamp at historic agricultural college

An electrical services contractor has completed a challenging project on the historic site of a West Midlands land-based college while ensuring all studies and events could continue safely throughout.

Greater Manchester-based Ash Integrated Services spent twelve weeks working on Moreton Morrell College near Warwick, a land-based college located on the estate of an Edwardian manor.

The company completed a full rewire and installed new lighting and electrical points for the college’s classrooms, labs and veterinary facilities, all while maintaining supplies to key systems such as I.T, telecoms, alarms and the site’s freezers for storing horses for study.

This meant students who required distance learning were able to continue to do so uninterrupted, while those in attendance could have full use of the site as they needed, including for the college’s summer events.

Antony Grace, company director at Ash Integrated Services, which delivers fully integrated mechanical and electrical solutions, said: “Our first hurdle was a complete change of the design just two weeks before we were due on site.

“A survey discovered bats in the roof, where we were originally going to run all services. As this was a time-sensitive project due to the school holidays, we had to react quickly to agree a new way of working as well as secure new materials and supplies in time for the original start date.

“We were able to complete every aspect to a satisfyingly high standard without bringing significant disruption, with just one and a half day’s shutdown in total, which we were able to schedule for weekends.”

Austin Nicholson, a trainee electrician at Ash who was part of the team working at Moreton Morrell, said: “Each project has its own unique challenges, and this was no different.

“As the site has its own working farm and equestrian eventing facilities, any sudden noises were kept to an absolute minimum for the benefit of the horses and those working with them.

“By doing so we were able to ensure events such as show jumping could continue as normal for all involved.”

Moreton Morrell college, part of WCG (formerly Warwickshire College Group), covers 650 acres of countryside and has a working farm, stables for more than 100 horses, equine and animal centres, a halls of residence and other specialist land-based learning facilities.

Greg Cook, Project Lead at WCG, added: “This was a major project to rewire and install lighting and electrical points across Moreton Morrell College and we are delighted that it was carried out with minimal disruption to operations at the college.

“Over the summer we always have a busy schedule of equine events at the college and these were all able to go ahead thanks to the flexibility and agility of Ash Integrated Services.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sam Harris .