A contract to restore the landmark ‘Pumphouse’ in Barry has been awarded by the Vale of Glamorgan Council to John Weaver (Contractors) Limited. The project will be overseen by leading conservation architects Acanthus Holden Architects.
The council owned No.1 Dock Hydraulic Pumping House is a Grade II Listed building situated in the Innovation Quarter at the west end of Barry Waterfront. It will undergo a £1 million external restoration to ensure the building is saved as an important part of Barry and Wales’ industrial heritage. The project is being funded by the Vale of Glamorgan Council and Welsh Assembly Government.
Listed by CADW as one of the few hydraulic pumphouses remaining in Wales, the Pumphouse formed part of Barry’s dock complex and remains an important local landmark with its imposing 42 metre chimney. Built during the 1880s it provided hydraulic power to operate coal drops, lock gates, swing bridges and other equipment around the docks. The building comprises two parts, the north and south ranges. When operating a century ago the north range would have contained workshops and hydraulic controls. The south range would have contained boilers and steam powered engines.
The Pumphouse is located in the heart of the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Innovation Quarter (The IQ) at the west end of Barry Waterfront. The IQ is a mixed use development site of around 19 acres aimed at creating a vibrant mix of education, business, community and tourist uses adjacent to the No.1 dock.
The IQ is being delivered by the Vale of Glamorgan Council in partnership with the Welsh Assembly Government and the restoration of the Pumphouse is one of a number of ongoing development projects within the Quarter. These include a Primary Care Centre currently being constructed behind the Pumphouse along with a highway improvement scheme that is nearing completion and will provide access for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles to the Primary Care Centre and the existing Business Support and Skills Training Centres.
Vale council Leader, Cllr Gordon Kemp, commented, “I am delighted the Pumphouse restoration project is going ahead. This important Innovation Quarter project will save an historic building for the benefit of future generations as well as creating much needed construction jobs for the South Wales economy. It will also boost the regeneration of the Waterfront by restoring a property that in its current derelict state creates a poor image. The delivery of this project owes much to the ongoing successful working partnership of the council and Welsh Assembly Government at the Innovation Quarter.”
Jocelyn Davies AM, Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration said:”The main aim of regeneration is to make the most of what an area has to offer. The Pumphouse is an iconic building on Barry’s waterfront and so I am delighted that the funding the Assembly Government has provided will help to save this building. Barry was established earlier this year as a Strategic Regeneration Area and I hope this important project will be followed by many other regeneration projects that will enhance the area for residents and visitors, and bring economic benefits to the town.”
Completion of the restoration works contract is scheduled for the Spring of 2011. In tandem with saving the historic property the Council will be marketing the Pumphouse in due course to secure an end use with the aim of bringing back to economic life this fine industrial building.
