Redevelopment News 08.17
Power outage in the market June 20
WHAT HAPPENED?
As you may know, there was a power outage that affected the market on June 20.
We have now done a thorough investigation into this. A cable was damaged during some site excavations that evening, and power to the market was lost around 18:30. The sub-contractor failed to comply with the risk assessment and method statement produced for their work in that area. Appropriate discipline has been carried out.
Damage to the cable should not have disrupted power to the whole market. Unfortunately, however, there was a technical issue with the backup which meant that we were unable to restore the power more quickly.
By 22:20 power to the market was fully restored. Power to the Multi-Storey Car Park was restored at 05:00 once a backup generator had been installed.
HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN?
Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee that events like this won’t ever happen. But we can minimise their likelihood by putting in place the right preventative steps.
Currently, Power On and UK Power Networks are conducting a full investigation into why the backup system failed to work. This is to get to the root cause so it can be fixed and make sure it will work effectively in future.
NEXT STEPS
We know how disruptive this was to businesses on the market. If you have experienced any loss or damage as a result of the power outage, then we advise that you contact your insurer first. They will be able to advise you on the next best steps.
HELPLINE NUMBERS FOR YOU
Our switchboard is open 24/7. You can reach a member of our team any time when you call. If you call during the night or weekend you will be automatically transferred to one of our security team in our Control Room.
CGMA switchboard: 020 7720 2211
You can also contact VINCI Construction on their 24/7 helpline number: 07767 006599
CONFIRMING YOUR SMS AND CONTACT DETAILS
The power outage highlights how important it is for us to have your most up-to-date contact details.
To receive any SMS or email updates that we send round the market, please give Charlotte your mobile number and email address. She’ll add you to our list.
Email: charlotte.cowling@cgma.co.uk Tel: 020 7501 3494
Flower Market: Bedding in
As with any new building, there have been some teething problems. Thank you for working with us while we get these fixed.
SERVICE TO THE LIFTS AND PAY MACHINES
We’ve been working with the companies responsible for the lifts and pay on foot machines to make sure they offer a more reliable service.
You should now be seeing an improvement in the time it takes for the lifts to open and switch between floors.
We’re also looking at the possibility of having additional pay on foot machines on each floor to make it quicker for people to exit the Flower Market. We’ve been looking at the physical placement of the ticket dispensers, too. We’re trying see how we can make it easier for people to get tickets out of the machines as they’re driving through. We’ll keep you updated as things progress.
If you are a customer and you visit the market more than once a week, we’d encourage you to apply for an annual entry permit. This would be the easiest and most cost-efficient way to cover your trips. Please call us or send an email if you’d like more details on how to do this.
REPLACING THE FLOWER MARKET GOODS DOORS
As you know, some of the Goods Doors have been breaking down and getting stuck. Some of the issues are technical, others come down to general wear and tear.
We tried to fix this by changing the original automatic doors to manual doors that needed a push. We’d hoped this would make it easier for you to move the trollies through the doors and to stop them breaking down. However, once up and running, the manual doors created some other issues.
We’ve decided to change the doors back to being automatic whilst we work to find a better solution. The manufacturer is based in the North of England so there has been a delay in sending an engineer due to the holiday season. We’ll let you know more as soon we have more information to share.
Works to begin in the South Vehicle Car Park
As you know, the first block of the new Fruit and Veg Market will be built on part of the South Vehicle Car Park. For this to happen some of the vans that use that space will have to park elsewhere on site. Timing this with the completion of the IDU will help to free up some space as will the move of our CGMA porta cabins.
We and VINCI St. Modwen have had an initial meeting with the CGTA and the tenants most likely to be impacted by these changes. We’re in the process of developing the plans, in consultation with these tenants, taking into account everyone’s business needs. This will be an ongoing conversation between the CGMA and CGTA with open lines of communication throughout.
We’re reviewing the timings for when this work will start to try to minimise disruption as much as possible. Again, we’ll share more with you as soon as we have it.
Restrictions on entry permits
To prioritise parking space for customers, we are again reviewing the number of permits that we issue to each tenant for both commercial and private vehicles. We’ll let you know the outcome of this review ahead of the permit renewal in October.
At the moment, we’re unable to issue any more entry permits between now and October. Our Operations Director, Bob Marlow, will be writing to every permit holder with more details about this soon. He’ll give you the full breakdown of everything you need to know.
VINCI St. Modwen sale of Nine Elms Square: Safeguarding the market
Recently, the 10-acre former Flower Market site was sold by our development partners VINCI St. Modwen to R&F Properties and C C Land Holdings for £470m.
The proceeds of this sale will fund the full completion of New Covent Garden Market. This secures and safeguards the future of the market’s redevelopment. This will help to provide a new tube station, affordable housing and community benefits, too. It will also see the creation of a new Food Quarter, making the produce and expertise of New Covent Garden Market available to the public for the first time in over 40 years.