Ashampstead Road Restrictions (Army House Project)
Between February and December 2025, essential major repairs are taking place to Army House – one of our Grade II listed boarding houses, including the replacement of its roof.
This a complicated project. The proximity of the building to the crossroads at Buscot Hill and Ashampstead Road, the narrowness of Ashampstead Road and the substantial height of the building have proved challenging when considering the scaffolding and temporary roofing required.
In addition to this, due to the presence of bats roosting in the roof, the College is obliged by law to obtain a licence from Natural England and to follow specific procedures and methods for removing the existing roof and installing the new one, to prevent bats from being harmed during the works. This unfortunately means the works will take longer than they otherwise would if no bats were present and restricts when certain works can take place.
To try and mitigate any delays to the works due to weather or water ingress, we are installing a temporary roof which will allow the work to progress in the majority of weather conditions.
In response to feedback from local residents and businesses and as part of our ongoing planning to ensure a safe and timely delivery on this project we are meeting regularly with our contractors and West Berkshire Council, who issue the relevant traffic orders and permits. We are reviewing the programme and aim to provide updated details of the traffic restrictions in January.
We are acutely aware that this project will have a significant impact on our local community and sincerely apologise for the considerable inconvenience this will cause. As a major employer in the local area, this work will impact our own employees and daily operation of the College, as well as people living in or travelling through the area so we can assure you we are working towards completing the project as quickly as we can.
You can read more detail about the project in the FAQs below. The current level of road restrictions will be updated regularly here and via our dedicated mailing list. If you would like to receive email updates on the project and traffic restrictions – subscribe to join this list here.
The latest information on restrictions on access to Ashampstead road will be added here once the final dates and details have been agreed.
In addition to repairing our existing buildings, Bradfield College has a framework for the long-term development of the Estate. You can read more about the Campus Development Framework below.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why is the project necessary?
The roof to the grade II listed building along the main road is in a poor state of repair and in urgent need of replacement, along with repairs to the windows and external façade.
What is the impact of the project on Ashampstead Road?
It will be necessary to close the road at certain times to allow the work to be undertaken safely and for 4-way temporary lights to be in place at all other times.
How long will the road closure and temporary lights be in place?
The works will start in February 2025 and complete in December 2025, providing no major issues are encountered. West Berks have advised that a full closure will be required for certain works. The extent of the road closure and temporary lights will vary throughout the year and we are currently reviewing the programme following recent discussions with West Berks, our consultants and contractor.
Why are temporary lights required in addition to the road closure?
The introduction of 4-way lights at the crossroads will allow a single carriageway to be opened along Ashampstead Road during the early mornings, evenings and weekends for use by light goods vehicles only. The lights will not be operational when the road is fully closed during the working day.
Why will the project take so long?
Due to the presence of bats roosting in the roof, the College is obliged by law to obtain a licence from Natural England and to follow specific procedures and methods for removing the existing roof and installing the new one, in order to make sure no bats are harmed during the works. As such, the works will take longer than they otherwise would if no bats were present.
We are also installing a temporary roof which will allow the work to progress in the majority of weather conditions. As a result, there is a lower risk of delays due to weather and less likelihood of water ingress in the building causing further damage and extending the programme. It does, however, take longer to install a temporary roof, but on balance we believe this provides greater certainty (indeed none of the contractors we interviewed would do the project without one).
Why can’t all the works be done under temporary lights and avoid the road closure?
Ashampstead Road is particularly narrow in places and there are minimum requirements for the width of the road along with a safety zone. Whilst the scaffolding and temporary roof is being erected and dismantled the road is not wide enough to maintain the minimum width.
Once the temporary roof is erected and the repair works commence, there are extensive materials to be safely removed and loaded onto the scaffolding regularly during the contractor’s working day.
Why can’t the road closure be limited to 09:30 to 15:30 all the time?
The closures from 08:00 to 17:00 are required when the scaffolding and temporary roof is erected and dismantled. Reducing the working times would significantly extend the time taken to put up and take down the scaffolding and therefore extend the overall programme and disruption.
Once the scaffolding is erected, the closure is required to enable loading and unloading of materials. We can manage the loading/unloading and moving of materials within shorter hours as the workers will be able to continue carrying out repairs at the beginning/end of the day with the materials already in place.
Will the road closure affect access to driveways along Ashampstead Road?
Access to all private driveways will be maintained. The road closure will be limited to the section of Road between the crossroads and the end of the building with the “Hillside” sign.
Will there be pedestrian access through the road closure?
Yes, the footpath opposite the scaffolding will be open for all pedestrians (local community, staff and pupils) throughout the works.
What route will vehicles have to follow as a local diversion?
For Light Goods Vehicles, the official diversion route will be via Pangbourne.
For Heavy Goods Vehicles, the diversion route will be via Newbury.
Why are there no works planned between November 2024 and February 2025?
Bats are known to be using the roofs. As a result, there are limitations on when certain works can take place, with no disturbance to bat roosts allowed over the winter.
If I have questions regarding the traffic restrictions who should I contact?
Please send your questions to cdf@bradfieldcollege.org.uk using Ashampstead Road in the subject heading.
If you would like to receive updates on the project, we would like to invite you to subscribe to this link.
Only subscribers to this system will receive email updates. Updates will be sent every month, or when a significant change to restrictions or timings of the works is announced.
