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A West Midlands-based consultancy has been appointed to lead the remediation of an historic building in South London, that was once home to Hollywood actor, Robert De Niro.

Fox Cooper will deliver the remediation of the Jam Factory, a gated residential development at the site of the former Hartley’s jam factory in Bermondsey, near Tower Bridge.

The specialist external wall systems (EWS) consultancy, which is headquartered in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, is leading the remediation of Block A of the iconic building.

Fox Cooper is working as part of the project team to coordinate the design process and select a contractor to carry out necessary works. It is also leading the liaison and reporting to the Building Safety Fund (BSF), including securing grant funding, as well as managing delivery of the construction project and supporting consultation with leaseholders throughout.

All non-compliant materials within the building, including cladding panels, insulation, cavity barriers and fire stops will be replaced in accordance with requirements set out by the BSF. The building was registered with the BSF last year. The Stage Two submission to the BSF for funding is expected to be completed in early 2022, with remediation works scheduled to start on site next spring.

Built on the site of a former tannery, the original Hartley’s jam factory was completed by Sir William Pickles Hartley in 1901 and became the country’s biggest jam producer.

Further blocks were added to the original building before production ended in the 1960s and the site was repurposed as a distribution depot. The buildings stood empty until 1999, when they were converted into contemporary residential accommodation.

Goodfellas actor, Robert De Niro once owned a penthouse apartment at the Jam Factory, with 360-degree views of the capital city, including St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf. He sold the property in 2018.

Jason Fox, co-founder and Director of Fox Cooper said:

The Jam Factory is a building with such a rich architectural and industrial heritage but it is one of hundreds that require urgent work to make them safe. It is a hugely challenging time for building owners and leaseholders who are being faced with a complex and ever changing EWS process. We are using our experience in multidisciplinary engineering and property management, together with our experience of EWS and the BSF to best represent their interest and help them navigate through this.

Fox Cooper provides support to freeholders, developers, managing agents, and others in need of help in remediating their unsafe buildings with a combustible EWS.

The consultancy is currently leading the remediation of the Crown Lofts and Gallery Square residential development in Walsall, a nine storey mixed-use development scheme in Chelmsford and a large mixed-use development comprising circa 275 homes in London.

For more information, visit: foxcooper.co.uk.

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