NEW project announcement: Westminster street furniture and lamp column painting

Community Clean lend a helping hand (or paint brush) to FM Conway for the painting maintenance of over 11,000 items for Westminster City Council.

FM Conway scored a £450m hat trick earlier this year with a triple maintenance contract win for Westminster City Council. 

Having joined forces with FM Conway on a number of projects over the years and building on great existing relationships, we were invited to price and were successful in securing the painting maintenance contract for over 11,000 items throughout Westminster.

The job specification

The items in the inventory to be painted include:

• lamp columns
• signs
• pedestrian guard rails
• vehicle barriers
• illuminated sign post
• Belisha beacon posts
• bollards

Depending on the level of maintenance required on each item, we are utilising a hand preparation technique to prime the surface prior to paint application.

Our ICATS trained painting technicians are then applying the Highways Agency approved paint system in accordance with the Westminster painting strategy. 

Depending on the item and its location, the paint specification provides a high-gloss, anti-graffiti or textured anti-fly poster finish in a designated colour also outlined by the strategy.

Locations

Spread throughout Westminster, the three main wards that we are working on include Lancaster Gate, Little Venice and Marylebone High Street.

Work began in May this year and is due for completion in September.

There are a total of 21 wards due for completion in this rolling contract of 7 years in which we hope to continue to be a part of over the coming years.

Challenges and latest progress

Under the watchful eye of Community Clean Project Manager David White, progress is coming along nicely albeit weather not always permitting:

“As to be expected with typical British weather, the wetter days tend to throw a spanner in the works but with our fully-flexible approach we always manage to work around it and stay on track.”

Furthermore the busy hustle and bustle of Westminster also provides its own challenges, as David outlines:

“We all know that there is rarely such a thing as an empty car parking space in Westminster. That being said, with every lamp column there generally always tends to be a parked car next to it so again we’ve had to be fully-flexible with fleet management to ensure we get the job done during less busy periods where possible. Our FORS bronze accreditation is certainly being put to the test on this project!”