Bath Abbey has appointed Bath-based firm Emery to deliver the building work for its £19.3 million Footprint project, with work inside and outside the Abbey due to start at the end of May.
Following a European-wide competition process, Emery, a family-run building contractor established in 1947, was selected and will be working in partnership with two other local companies, Wheeler’s in Westbury who will carry out the electrical and mechanical work, and SSHConservation in Wells will be responsible for the stonework.
Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Footprint project is a £19.3 million programme of capital works and interpretation which will repair the Abbey’s collapsing floor, install a new eco-friendly heating system using Bath’s hot springs, and provide new, improved space and facilities to ensure the Abbey is more sustainable, hospitable and useable for local residents, worshippers and visitors alike.
Charles Curnock, Bath Abbey’s Footprint Project Director, said: “We are pleased to announce Emery as lead contractor with SSH Conservation and Wheeler’s as subcontractors, and look forward to the work commencing on-site next month.
“While we received a high calibre of tenders from all across Europe, we are very pleased to be working with companies who are based in the South West.
“This appointment is another major step forward for the Footprint programme which has been in planning and development for the last nine years.”
Julian Emery, managing director of Emery, said: “As a locally based company, we are delighted to be given the opportunity to work on the Footprint project.
“It is a fantastic project not just for the Abbey but for Bath as a whole. It has really captured everyone’s imagination, especially the prospect of having an eco-friendly heating system using some of the energy from Bath’s famous hot springs.
“We’re also pleased to be able to support the local economy by using businesses from the area whenever possible during the build programme and look forward to bringing to life the Abbey’s vision to make it fit-for-purpose for future generations.”
Wessex Water will be digging and laying pipes that will carry hot water from the Roman Baths into the new eco-heating system.
The Abbey has also appointed Wessex Archaeology from Salisbury to work alongside the building contractors to document and interpret any objects that may be uncovered by the excavation.
To find out more about how to support Bath Abbey’s Footprint project, visit www.bathabbey.org/footprint.
