Pick Everard supports Building Assessment Certificates for Salford high-rise blocks

Pick Everard role in Salford Building Assessment Certificates

Building Assessment Certificates (BACs) have been issued for two high-rise apartment buildings in Salford following safety works commissioned after the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

Pick Everard said it was appointed principal designer – CDM – for a programme of safety upgrades across nine residential blocks managed by Pendleton Together Operating, part of the Together Housing Group.

The firm said it undertook detailed structural surveys and supported the submission of the Building Safety Case.

BACs were issued for two blocks, Spruce and Thorn Court.

Pick Everard said the two buildings now meet legal duties relating to the spread of fire and structural standards.

Works programme and stakeholder engagement

Works included replacement cladding, insulation and fire compartmentation, alongside new fire alarms and sprinklers.

Work is continuing on safety upgrades to the remaining buildings.

The scheme experienced early delays linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pick Everard said all blocks are due to be completed in spring 2026.

Simon Senior, Project Director at Pick Everard, said: “The project sits within the transition period for adopting the Building Safety Act 2022, with our team working to ensure services aligned to the requirements of the developing legislation and associated regulatory requirements.

“Collaboration remained a key element of this project and involved liaising with a complex network of stakeholders, including PTOL, the construction management team, contractors, neighbourhood management team, Salford City Council and Together Housing.

“Fire safety is, understandably, a matter of significant sensitivity, and the development and maintenance of strong stakeholder relationships was critical to providing reassurance to everybody involved in the scheme and the residents.”

Regulator data and scope of services

Pick Everard cited the latest building control approval data from the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), which it said shows the regulator is considering 283 remediation cases.

The source said the BSR report states: “Having focused on addressing the new build backlog initially, BSR is now developing a focused plan to extend the lessons learned to remediation cases.”

Services provided by Pick Everard on the scheme included building surveying, building and construction safety, architecture, structural and building engineering, project management, M&E and quantity surveying.

Senior added: “Achieving certification reflects the project’s disciplined governance and resident-focused outcomes, providing a strong benchmark for future schemes.

“To address the highly sensitive nature of the project we refined our building and construction safety consultant team’s usual communications process to create a proactive, tailored engagement strategy.

“Applying learning from past projects, we ran regular risk workshops with representatives of each design discipline and the wider design teams (sub-contractors, package contractors) with design responsibility.

“All parties shared their health and safety learning, reinforcing our joint commitment to safety – which was so important to residents.”