Martin Freeman is the managing director of ProTen Services Ltd. With 40 years' experience of supplying specialist building services, Mr Freeman has also owned a laboratory consultancy service and has been involved in the introduction of a number of innovative products and techniques associated with building conservation and the health of the occupants.
He will be speaking at Brownfield Briefing's Ground Gas 2009 conference on 18 November, so we caught up with him ahead of the event.
1. What do you predict will be major brownfield issues in 2020?
Many gas barriers installed by non-specialists today will be failing and causing major problems 10 years down the line. Significant spending will be required to mitigate buildings that were not correctly protected during construction and litigation against designers and developers will be routine by then.
2. If you could choose one regeneration project that you could magically complete right now, which would it be and why?
The Dyson Engineering Academy in Bath, because the site is crying out for it, the perceived problems can be solved in design and construction and the British economy needs the dynamism and innovation of British engineering.
3. What do you think are the three biggest brownfield developments/achievements from this year?
1. The fact that the Olympic site development appears to be running on schedule is a huge achievement. Many critics predicted there would be long delays, and that it would never be ready on time. The ODA claim they are ‘firmly on track'.
2. The ruling against Corby Council will have sent shockwaves around councils, industry and members of the public alike. It will serve as a powerful wake up call that effective and accurate evaluation of developments is paramount.
3. Bristol Cabot Circus shopping centre, which opened just over a year ago. It was a £500m project that took eight years, making it one of the country's largest city-centre redevelopment schemes of recent years. A journalist this week said ‘now the heart of Bristol is beating again', and I have to agree.
4. If you could change one piece of legislation/regulation what would it be and why?
Approved Document C of the Building Regulations, to require radon protection in all new buildings. With some 2,000 people dying from lung cancer linked to radon exposure each year in the UK, it is a travesty that despite academic research and public consultation to support the change the Government are considering postponement of the revision of the regulations until 2013. A further 6,000 people will have died by this stage and death traps will continue to have been built.
