Internal scaffolding can be reduced recommends Alan Wood & Partners

Structural Engineer Report Summary

We are excited and delighted to bring you this latest update from the Rose Garden Café Partnership. We met with Jenny Bulmer the conservation engineer from Alan Wood & Partners to view the results of the new ground investigations and structural findings. The structural engineer’s detailed design work alongside the new ground investigations undertaken in May 2024 have concluded that the poor foundations are the sole reason for the lean in the wall. Her recommendations based on this new information are that the front wall should remain propped by scaffolding until refurbishment works take place and that any scaffolding supporting the roof can be removed. This paves the way for the reduction of the internal scaffolding in the café and our priority is now to reopen the café’s internal seating and catering as soon as possible.

Structural Engineer Report Detail

• The Rose Garden Café Partnership (Friends of Graves Park, Save the Rose Garden Café Campaign and SCC) worked together to cocreate a design brief and appoint structural engineer, Alan Wood & Partners to undertake detailed structural design.
• Following review of all existing surveys, information and a site visit, Alan Wood & Partners advised that further ground investigations were required to conclusively determine the cause of the lean to front wall and understand if the scaffolding could be removed.
• The new ground investigations were undertaken and the structural engineer report concluded that the front wall is suffering rotational failure due to poor subsoils/insufficiently deep foundations and that no other walls are affected. The report also concluded that the main pitched roof structure is in reasonable condition.
• The structural engineer has recommended that the scaffolding to the front wall remains necessary, but any scaffolding that is propping the roof only can be removed.
• In order to make the front wall safe, the structural engineer’s recommended solution is to take down the existing front wall, retaining materials for reuse where suitable. Then to construct a new footing for full length of front elevation, taken to suitable natural bearing strata and rebuild the new wall to replicate existing.