ISG Construction Ltd has been awarded the contract for the rewiring and refurbishment of the IHR wing of the Senate House north block. They are carrying out some preliminary inspections and surveys at the moment but during the week commencing Monday 24th June they will be setting up their site compound. This will be in the corner of the Russell Square car park, between the tower and the IHR wing. The movement of materials and waste to and from the site compound will be governed by a traffic management plan which has been designed to make the process as safe as possible.
The Russell Square car park will be closed to all but service and delivery vehicles from Monday 24th June, but the Malet Street car park will be reopened and may be used from that date. There will be occasions when the Malet Street car park has to be closed, but advance notice will be given and space will be made available elsewhere for disabled drivers. Cyclists and pedestrians will still be able to use the Russell Square car park and safe access routes will be marked out.
The refurbishment will last until July next year and although the noisiest of the work has been scheduled to take place out of the University’s working hours, there will inevitably be some disturbance from time to time. We will keep this to a minimum but it will generally not be possible to stop the work in response to complaints about noise. Your understanding and patience is requested.
The completion of this project will allow IHR to return to fully refurbished library, seminar and office space in the north block in time for the start of the autumn term next year. The rest of the empty space in the north block has been leased to SOAS and they are working on their own refurbishment plans. We will give updates on the progress of the IHR and SOAS refurbishments from time to time but in the meantime, please direct any questions to the Estates projects office on extension 8224.