Breathing New Life into Railway Arches

Finding space for new business premises and thriving business hubs in busy city centres can often be a challenge. However, when you consider the hundreds of railway arches there are across cities like London, Manchester, Newcastle and Leeds, the scope for the creation of thriving business environments, such as new restaurants, retail properties, and light industrial workspace, is vast. Stuart Byles, director at Pexhurst explains why the opportunity is so significant and how best to approach refurbishment projects of this nature.

This opportunity is especially pertinent given the investment by The Arch Company, the UK’s largest provider of properties for small and medium businesses, via their Project 1000 programme and with our support. This scheme involves a £200 million investment to bring at least one thousand arches and rental spaces into use by 2030.

Once finished, they will become new spaces in which businesses can thrive, bringing jobs to the local community and utilising sustainable processes to refresh and revitalise these unique environments.

Ever since the arches were first constructed, they have been home to an array of small businesses. However, over time and for different reasons, some have gone through a period of neglect. Repurposing these spaces to encourage small businesses to return once again can be of significant benefit to the local communities where they are located.

Renovating and refurbishing railway arches presents unique challenges

Unlike traditional property refurbishments, railway arch refurbishments by their nature take place in busy environments with the railway operating overhead and often-busy roads and pavements underneath. So, working with these special restrictions, especially in locations like Central London, has led to some unique site set-ups and welfare arrangements.

It’s important to utilise a light manual handling team and focus heavily on keeping transport to a minimum. Aside from ensuring good quality welfare arrangements, it’s also important to utilise close head office locations and just-in-time deliveries to keep the delivery process fast and simple.

There are, however, some surprising similarities to more traditional industrial fit outs too. Indeed, the internal liner system often used on the soffit of the arches is almost identical to profiled cladding sheets used in the industrial sector. Similarly, the internal fit outs in terms of building fabric are the same.

The work involved can often be complex and require close collaboration

Refurbishment projects typically involve the removal of existing front and back elevations, breaking out and removing the historic floor slab, and increasing the height and the loading capacity of the floor slab. Likewise, this can involve adding new glass frontage and masonry elevations to match the historic brickwork.

Similarly, new curtain wall systems are often removed and replaced, and drainage is extensively upgraded. To help disperse water ingress from the arches above and discharge it into new drainage, interior soffits can be relined with a new modern liner system.

New building fabric works, such as new toilets and decorations, are also frequently required to improve the interior and exterior aesthetic.

Refurbished railway arches are ideal for business use

Offering unique perspectives and locations, refurbished and renovated railway arches are suitable for a myriad of different business types or industries, whether that be retail hospitality or light industrial. 

With sustainability an extremely important consideration of any construction project, retrofitting old railway arches, which have significantly lower embodied carbon levels than say, a new build equivalent for light industrial space, could actually help to reduce carbon emissions. 

When speaking to Josh Baggott, capital projects manager at The Arch Company, he highlighted the importance of utilising vacant space and enabling more small businesses to operate from them.

He also said that in recent months, after completing many projects across Greater London in locations along the viaduct from Battersea to Bermondsey, the Project 1000 programme is successfully bringing dilapidated space not suitable for occupation back into a useable condition and ready for businesses to operate from.

Acknowledging the effective relationship we have with The Arch Company, Josh explained that they have found our pre-contract and site delivery teams to be engaged, with good responsiveness and an approach to problem solving which, when combined with good workmanship, achieves a great product at the end of the project.

Our collaboration with The Arch Company is only one example of a results-driven partnership in the railway arch sector, but the significant opportunity to create many more thriving business environments is set to increase interest and investment. There are unique challenges and there are impressive solutions, which makes the sector one which we can all learn from.

Follow us on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/pexhurst-services-limited/

Subscribe to our newsletter

Client Testimonials

"When Pexhurst are involved on BREEAM projects it’s seamless and very slick. The approach is collaborative, and there’s always a joint effort to ensure we achieve the required points."

Principal Sustainability Consultant at Arcadis

"Just a quick note to thank you all for your hard work and commitment on the various projects we have worked on this year. It’s always a pleasure to work with a team of pragmatic, helpful and friendly people."

Director at Northland

"I just wanted to thank you all for your hard work and collaborative approach which has ultimately made this letting possible. I look forward to working with you on future projects, where I’d like to think we can achieve an equally good result."

Technical Manager at Logicor

"May I take this opportunity to thank the whole team at Pexhurst for another well planned, managed and executed project. It has been a pleasure to work with you all again."

Anonymous Client

"Your staff retention is excellent, every project I do with you there’s that continuity of team and people which is rare to see these days..."

Anonymous Client

"It was clear from the meeting that high standards are an important component of the management team's ethos... I would like to thank the team for their time, information and insight into an impressive presentation and meeting."

Monitor at Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS)

"I found Pexhurst easy to deal with and really enjoyed working with them. They met a very tight deadline, and nothing was too much trouble. I would use Pexhurst again in a heartbeat and recommend them to all."

Anonymous Client

"Pexhurst really impressed on their first instructions with us, demonstrating a collaborative approach at procurement and delivery stage. Works were delivered smoothly on tricky multi-tenanted buildings, to a high quality and on tight programmes.use Pexhurst again in a heartbeat and recommend them to all."

Associate at Global Holdings Management Group

"Pexhurst are a credit to the profession and have performed admirably on a tight programme in difficult circumstances. I have really enjoyed working with the team and look forward to working with you again."

Senior Asset Manager at MapleTree

"I think the refurbished unit is looking really good. I was very impressed with the quality of finishes and completion, and ultimately how the unit presents. Good work!"

Director, Hollis

"The refurbishment of older buildings is an important part of our journey to be net-zero carbon by 2030. This scheme is a great example of how these existing buildings, where appropriate, can be transformed into more modern, efficient, greener spaces that enable low-carbon growth now and into the future."

Managing Director at SEGRO

"When Pexhurst are involved on BREEAM projects it’s seamless and very slick. The approach is collaborative, and there’s always a joint effort to ensure we achieve the required points."

Principal Sustainability Consultant at Arcadis

"It has been a pleasure working with Pexhurst. Your team has delivered an excellent job, and the client is very pleased with what you have carried out. Well done, Pexhurst."

Partner at Vail Williams

"It’s always a smooth experience working alongside Pexhurst. 1-3 Faraday Close was a project that immediately presented challenges, but the project team addressed them with a positive attitude and the refurbishment programme was completed to the desired standard."

Director at Avison Young

"Pexhurst have honed their ability to deliver highly sustainable refurbishment works, supporting the Responsible SEGRO framework and future-proofing our assets. The internal living green wall is particularly standout and a triumph. Well done team Pexhurst."

Director of Technical Development, Estates at SEGRO
CHAS