A major refurbishment and modernisation scheme of one of Ilkeston’s most distinctive buildings has received high commendation in the ‘Large Scale Project of the Year’ category at the East Midlands Energy Efficiency Awards 2021.
The 1930s-built Toll Bar House building, which is owned by Erewash Borough Council, recently underwent a transformative refurbishment process after previously being declared “unlettable” due to its previous non-energy efficient status.
The eight-month project saw building, refurbishment, maintenance and energy services partner, J Tomlinson, working with Erewash Borough Council to future-proof and decarbonise the 90-year-old building — creating 27 managed offices that will be let to local businesses.
Works have included upgrades to windows, heating, lighting, water systems and thermal installation, as well as installation of a range of low carbon technologies such as roof-mounted solar PV with battery storage, energy-efficient storage heating, and LED lighting across all three storeys.
The £976k scheme was made possible thanks to £126k worth of grant funding, which the Council was able to secure via Salix Finance’s Decarbonisation Scheme, with support from J Tomlinson’s team of low carbon specialists. In addition, it received £425k of funding from D2N2’s Local Growth Fund, which supports projects, such as this one, that ‘benefit the local area and economy’.
It is expected that the works will reduce carbon emissions by 13 tonnes per annum, which is the equivalent of 8.7 homes’ electricity use for one year. As well as contributing to EBC’s sustainability agenda in line with the government’s 2050 net zero target, the Council will also benefit from additional revenue spread over the lifecycle of the newly refurbished building as a result of the secured grant funding.
The project, which was procured via Fusion21’s National Construction Works framework, was managed by J Tomlinson’s Commercial Refurbishment division, headed up by Managing Director Iain Davies. Iain said: “It has been a pleasure to play a key role in getting this local landmark building back up and running, with the addition of low carbon and renewable technologies to help significantly reduce its impact on the environment.
“We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Erewash Borough Council for the past seven months and, as Toll Bar House is just 20-minutes away from J Tomlinson’s head office in Beeston, we look forward to seeing the new building in use as new occupants move in over the coming weeks.”
The building’s location in the centre of Ilkeston makes an ideal working hub/base for future occupants, who will be less than a 20-minute drive away from the cities of Nottingham and Derby. It is expected that the project will create over 90 jobs in the local area, with occupants able to combine spaces to create larger letting units if they wish.
Councillor Carol Hart, Leader of Erewash Borough Council, said: “We give our thanks to J Tomlinson and all those involved in transforming this iconic building into an eco-friendly landmark that offers a great opportunity for small businesses. Partnership working at its best.”
For more information on J Tomlinson’s low carbon services visit: https://www.jtomlinson.co.uk/services/low-carbon-services/
