Handy Cross – REL’s Handy work
REL Electrical has completed a £2.2m electrical contract as part of Wycombe District Council’s £150m Handy Cross development.
The work included all of the electrical works for the scheme’s new sports and leisure complex as well as the new 2,300 sq m Waitrose. REL also installed the lighting for the car parks at both facilities and for the coach park and ride.
The 10,750 sq m Wycombe sports centre includes a 50m competition swimming pool, sub-aqua dive pit, multi-purpose sports hall, indoor bowls, dance studio, 150-station fitness suite, climbing wall, squash courts and café area.
Toby Buckley, Managing Director of REL said:
“This was a technically-challenging contract which involved close liaison with Willmott Dixon, Swiss Timing, Variopool and Fina to meet their stringent requirements for the 50m competition swimming pool. This included installing movable floors, underwater swimming cameras and the associated controls.
“One of the biggest challenges was the lighting. Due to the nature of the pool, which will be used for competitions as well as general leisure use, two different levels of lighting were required. This demanded a very detailed lighting design, which would meet the requirements set by Sport England, so we carried out computer-aided light simulation modelling to achieve this. The design had to result in a high level of lighting for competitions and ensure minimal glare on the pool surface, which meant that we also had to source specialist light fittings from throughout Europe.”
The electrical contract was awarded to REL by Kershaw Mechanical Services which undertook full M&E coordination, and delivered the mechanical design and installation works at the sports centre which include including gas-fired boilers, a CHP unit, underfloor heating, mechanical ventilation and multiple VRF systems. Ductwork for the project was produced by Kershaw’s in-house manufacture and pre-fabrication workshop.
The £40m Wycombe Leisure Centre was designed by architects AFLS+P. The main contractor for the development was Willmott Dixon.
Established over 60 years ago, REL is a family-owned business providing mechanical and electrical packages to clients in the industrial, commercial, leisure, educational and residential sectors. The team includes over 60 people – all directly employed – offering M&E solutions at every stage, from the design and construction of schemes through to ongoing maintenance.
For the last 60 years, REL has also run a successful apprenticeship scheme which to date, has seen 90 per cent of the apprentices complete the course and stay with the company.
REL prides itself on its long-standing relationships with clients, including Wilmott Dixon, Balfour Beatty, Ellmer Construction, Byrne Brothers and Lakehouse Contracts, and has been involved in several high-profile construction projects including the Shard and the transformation of the Tate Modern.
