A £3.5 million project to provide Windermere Marina Village with modern visitor facilities is making great progress.
The Windermere Marina Village Redevelopment project comprises the construction of a brand new three-storey apartment block and a separate two-storey restaurant & bar. The project is being implemented in order to modernise the Marina – which was built in 1984 – and to replace outdated facilities previously housed on the site.
The redevelopment project is helping to create and safeguard approximately 30 employment opportunities at the Marina and follows on from a recent £3 million scheme to upgrade existing lakeside cottages and apartments.
Barrow-based company Leck Construction is the main contractor on the Design and Build project, whilst John Coward Architects is the architect.
Commenting on the project, Windermere Marina Managing Director, Jason Dearden, said:
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime investment at the Marina which will benefit our guests, tourism in the Lake District and the profile of Windermere, England’s longest lake. Whilst we are undoubtedly in challenging economic times, we are confident that this investment will add to our guests’ enjoyment of the Marina and the area as a whole; helping to secure our future for years to come.
“We were delighted to appoint Cumbria-based Leck Construction, as easy as it is to go outside the area, it is really important to us that we are retaining the work within the county. We are being loyal to local expertise and craftsmanship who need the support of local businesses. We have to help each other in a downturn.”
As main contractor on the project, Leck Construction – whom our South Lakeland’s most well established contractor – are overseeing all aspects of the development. Commenting on Leck’s involvement, Leck Construction Limited Quantity Surveyor, Steve Croasdale, said:
“After successfully being selected to work on this project, we agreed a contract figure and began working directly with our client on a Design & Build basis. This is the first time that we have worked with Windermere Marina and it is great to be involved with this prestigious site.”
Steve added:
“Taking into account the current climate, a project like this is very important to us. The work is local, so we have been able to utilise many of our own tradesmen, from bricklayers and joiners through to plasterers and grounds workers and this project has kept people in employment, which is always a great achievement in this climate.”
Work began on the project in April 2012 and is currently scheduled to reach completion at Easter 2013.
The new apartment building includes a mix of luxury apartments and waterside penthouses and is being constructed using a combination of stone and render. The building also includes a mix of timber and aluminium windows and a slate roof.
The building comprises 13 luxury apartments, with each upper apartment having its own balcony and each ground level apartment having an external terrace. In addition each apartment includes a fantastic array of fixtures and fittings.
The restaurant & bar and is split across two levels, with the bar located on the ground floor and the restaurant situated on the first floor. The restaurant includes a large balcony, kitchen and associated back-of-house facilities, whilst notable features include the site’s stunning glazed frontage and an enclosed conservatory which overlooks the Marina.
Both the apartment block and the restaurant & bar building make use of similar materials in their construction and have been designed to blend in with the existing buildings at the Marina. Additional landscaping is also being included to link the new developments.
John Coward Architects Director, Rebecca Gibson, said:
“The redevelopment work at the Marina has been quite a lengthy process that has gone through quite a number of different design ideas.
“Originally we looked at redeveloping the existing facilities, but quickly realised that this would not give the Marina the facilities that they really wanted. We then looked at the idea of introducing a new build element to the site, which ultimately led to the design of the apartments and restaurant & bar.
“Throughout the project we have worked very closely with Windermere Marina Village to help them achieve their goal of modernising the site.”
Rebecca added:
“It is great to be involved with this particular project and we were very pleased to be asked to be a part of it. This is a big project for the local area and brings some fantastic apartments to the Marina.
“Once complete the new additions will generate more business to the area and will bring more people to the site, which is great.”
Leck Construction Limited Commercial Director, Andrew Murphy, commented:
“We were delighted to have been awarded the contract to design and construct such a prestigious project at Windermere Marina Village and share in the local investment this will provide; as well as giving a much needed boost in workload for local construction.”
Windermere Marina Village is the largest marina on England’s longest lake and welcomes more than 11,000 guests and 400 boat owners on an annual basis. Many holidaymakers stay in the Marina’s cottages and apartments in order to visit local attractions, shops, pubs and restaurants.
To find out more about Windermere Marina Village please visit: www.wmv.co.uk.
DSD Group
For more than 13 years, DSD Group has provided the construction industry with a one-stop shop that meets all its needs. DSD Group operates all over the UK, working with local authorities, regional councils and most leading contractors on contracts ranging from £5,000 up to and over £1 million.
DSD has worked on a range of projects for customers and affiliates including, Birse Civils, Kier, Balfour Beatty, Barr Construction and A-Plant, amongst others.
Over the last six years DSD Group has worked alongside Windermere Marina Village as their specialist electric contractor. DSD Group has undertaken major upgrade’s to the Marina’s electrical system along with routine maintenance and vehicle automated barrier entry systems and also conducted annual tests & inspections to ensure the Marina maintains the most reliable and up to date systems.
Peter Price, DSD Group, said:
“I have personally built an excellent working relationship with the Marina Management team and I pride myself on looking after this Marina. The Management team are well focused on offering their clients a state of the art marina and we are proud to be associated with them.”
Peter added:
“Our main focus is quality of workmanship, customer care and always being at hand to assist the client night or day, whilst maintaining value for money.”
