Objective
Fareham Borough Council was keen to improve facilities at Solent Airport for its visitors including the pilots, passengers and the wider aviation community. Mountjoy's job was to internally refurbish the Control Tower and create a new car park.
This project forms part of the wider re-development of Solent Airport, earlier in the year six new hangars were completed which are available for businesses in the aviation, aerospace and marine sectors to rent or buy. A new fuel farm has also been installed offering cut price fuel to pilots.
Solution
Mountjoy's Special Projects team worked closely with the Council and the Facilities team from Regional and City Airports Ltd who operate the Solent site. Works entailed an extension to the lounge area and a new Corporate Lounge for visiting pilots and VIPs. New fully accessible toilets were installed as well as improved catering and café facilities in the viewing lounge for those visiting the airport.
Duncan O’Rourke, Building Projects Director at Mountjoy said of the project: “We were delighted to be working with Fareham Borough Council again on this project and are pleased to play our part in upgrading the airport facilities. It demonstrates Mountjoy’s ability to deliver complex internal refurbishment works in occupied premises.”
The works to the car park involved some extra precautions when surveys discovered radiation hot spots which required specialist removal. An UXO survey was also required to check for unexploded bombs. Continual electricity supply was of utmost importance for the airport control tower, our Site Manager ensured this always remained undisturbed so that flights and operations could continue as normal.
Executive Leader of Fareham Borough Council, Councillor Seán Woodward, said: “It’s great to see the completion of these works, adding to the excellent facilities on offer for pilots, passengers and visitors alike. These improvements are part of the Council’s vision to grow the airport into one of the south’s premier aviation, aerospace and marine advanced engineering locations, something which will help to create 3,500 new local jobs over the next decade."