Elliott House and adjoining Westbridge is a Grade II listed building operated by Changing Lives as a hostel for the homeless on Bentick Road Elswick a ward in the western part of the city of Newcastle Upon Tyne.

Meldrum were appointed as the main contractor for the redevelopment of all the buildings within the site to provide 36 one-bedroom units ranging in floor area from 33m² to 75m² all accommodating single residents.

There is also support office accommodation housed in the 2010 extension and additional 14 car parking spaces from the access off Bentinck Terrace. The works to the historic building was kept to a minimum retaining the entrances and staircases to the original villas and restoring some of the larger rooms with ornate ceilings with the use of open plan kitchens within lounge areas. Japanese knotweed was identified and segregated, as it’s an invasive plant which can cause damage to any building or road.

The single storey extension to the north of the historic building was replaced by a single storey terrace of 4 one-bedroom apartments set at the existing lower garden level. Four additional buildings were created with the design concept of small garden structures within in a walled garden setting.

Meldrum Civil Engineering laid the foundations in the garden rooms which included incorporating internal & external drainage systems and ducting ready for our internal building services team.

The construction of the external new builds comprised of SIPS panelling with brickwork cladding and a single ply roof green roof. Each new build contains a kitchen/lounge, bathroom and bedroom area with vinyl flooring and fully decorated.

Internally to the Elliott House main building, the works involved refurbishing the existing building to provide 22 single self-contained apartments. Particular care and attention was given to the ornate staircase and ceilings within the main building which were restored as part of the works.

A full mechanical and electrical refit was carried out which included a new security system, CCTV and installation of new fire detection system. Refurbishment works and reconfiguration of basement was done to provide staff facilities and new plant and boiler rooms.

The project was tendered via a two stage process. Following Meldrum being successful in the first stage, we worked closely with the client and their design team to rationalise the design and mitigate cost. Meldrum commenced works in early March 21, just prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Overall, only two working days were lost due to the effects of COVID-19. This was as a result of early engagement with our supply chain and meticulous on-site planning with our sub-contractors, including our sister subsidiaries.

A key success of the project was the recruitment and retention of member of staff through a programme sponsored by Changing Lives. We offered, via this project, a number of learning and experience opportunities. Due to the commitment and hard work of one of those individuals, they were successful in being offered a full time, permanent role with Meldrum Construction Services Ltd.