Wind damage at Wick campus due to weaker panels being fitted – design team should have known about strong winds, says community council
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Structural issues at the East Caithness Community Campus in Wick, when panels were ripped off the gym, formed part of the agenda for the local community council on Tuesday (May 3).
Allan Farquhar, Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council (RBWCC) vice chair, referred to the damage caused by Storm Arwen when cladding panels were ripped off the campus gymnasium.
Mr Farquhar said that following a FOI request for a Highland Council commissioned report on the storm damage, RBWCC submitted a range of queries on the recommendations and supporting design calculations.
He said: "Whilst there are standardised 'norms' which were used in the original design, information on windspeeds > 90mph in the locality every five to six years was readily available to the designers and was volunteered to the project by local stakeholders at an early stage in the design process. These windspeeds were realised during the project build phase in 2015."
Interim works were carried out shortly after the storm in November 2021 to allow the building to safely reopen. Subsequent inspections have taken place to establish the permanent reinstatement works required to provide a long-term solution, says Hub North Scotland who delivered the campus project back in 2015.
Mr Farquhar stated: "Hub North have now confirmed the panels at the corners of the building are now to be qualified to 127mph. Works upgrading the current installation are to be conducted during the summer break."
Related matters were also discussed at a RBWCC meeting on Tuesday evening including the redesign of the Wick High School (WHS) reception area – which is part of the campus – that is in hand and planned for reconfiguration in 2023. Information on the prevailing wind direction and concerns with the ventilation systems creating a tunnel effect with the 'street' were brought to the attention of the project team early in the design process, added the RBWCC vice chair.
"Issues with nesting birds and guano, which we understand is causing cracking of glass skylights, is being addressed. Again, this was brought to the attention of the project team early in the design process.
"An access ramp to sports pitches which was overlooked during the build phase is currently out for tender with the intention of conducting civil works during the summer break. The IT system service has now been taken in house by Highland Council, following poor performance by the original service provider."
Mr Farquhar said that issues with heating fuel supplies continue and are being addressed by Highland Council and that the all-weather pitch – also the council's responsibility – is in poor condition when compared to the Thurso Naver facility. The council is to establish why and address the issues accordingly.
"RBWCC has recently been contacted by other towns who have similar projects in hand to learn both from our experiences and from the independent reports on the project."
Storm Arwen damage led to the campus' schools being closed for several days and Professor Iain Baikie, WHS Parent Council chair, questioned the integrity of the entire building which he believes may have been affected by "cost overrun issues".
Related article:
Last year's damage to Wick school's gym will be fixed in summer, says council
