ISG Jackson skates off with £1.2 million Chelmsford Ice Rink renewal

Wednesday 9, June 2010

ISG Jackson Special Projects has skated off with a £1.2 million contract to refurbish and upgrade facilities at the popular Riverside Ice & Leisure Centre in Chelmsford, Essex. The fast-track project has been timed to coincide with the low season at the centre and sees the contractor carrying out a raft of improvement works at the ice rink, enhancing the customer experience and helping to reduce the facility’s overall running costs.

Work started on Monday 7 June and will take around nine weeks to complete. Flexible working hours will be adopted due to the use of the adjacent sports hall as a venue for GCSE and A-Level examinations. ISG Jackson Special Projects will carry out essential repairs to the concrete base of the ice rink, re-paint the deck and renew the stainless steel perimeter barrier. A key element of the scheme involves the replacement of the ageing mechanical and electrical systems that keep the rink frozen. Modern, highly efficient cooling systems will be installed that will not only help to reduce operational costs but also minimise the building’s carbon emissions.

Enhancements will also be made to the ice rink’s roof, which will be insulated and under clad with low emissivity ceiling panels to maintain the temperature within the building, reduce the demand on mechanical cooling systems and provide additional cost savings for Chelmsford Borough Council. ISG Jackson Special Projects will additionally create an improved entrance, remodel and upgrade the café area and install new lockers, with the project scheduled for completion by early August.

Stuart Talbot, divisional director for ISG Jackson Special Projects, commented: “Improvement works to the Riverside Ice & Leisure Centre reflect the Council’s ambitions to enhance facilities for visitors but also make efficiency savings in the overall running costs and environmental impact of the building. Despite a challenging project programme and limitations on working hours, we are confident that we will deliver this important regional leisure scheme on time and to expectations.”