We have worked on some big schemes in our time but this year we completed our largest-ever installation when we created a “ring of steel” around one of Leicester’s newest and high-spec hotels.
We have supplied and fitted dozens of hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) stainless steel bollards and hundreds of metres-worth of its HVM pedestrian guardrail around the Hotel Brooklyn, in Welford Road.
The American-themed hotel created a stir when it was opened last year, thanks to its 191 bedrooms and suites, including a number of skyline suites with hot-tub terraces and executive suites with free-standing baths.
It is based opposite to Leicester Tigers Rugby Club’s Welford Road stadium, which is accessible direct from the hotel via a link bridge.
We have previously installed HVM products in the area around the stadium over the years, including our temporary SecuriPods, which were deployed during home games to keep spectators as they approached the turnstiles.
Two years ago, we were approached by developers Marshall Construction to provide HVM protection for the project to ensure it remains safe from a unwanted incursion from a car or truck as part of preparations for the forthcoming introduction of the Martyn’s Law legislation.
This included installing 240m of the firm’s HVM guard rail along the length of the road outside the hotel, complete with a distinctive design on the panels.
We also installed 70 brushed stainless steel HVM bollards and six sets of glide bollards, which can be slid apart to allow emergency vehicles access and then replaced to prevent other vehicles from getting through.
The installation was completed during the latter stages of the hotel’s development, which meant that the products could be placed in situ before the block paving – a result of the security provision having been planned early in the project.
Mark Stone, managing director of Securiscape, said: “We were asked to carry out a gold standard installation and, on the numbers of items alone, the largest we have undertaken in our history.
“Our products work together to ensure the progress of pedestrians and emergency vehicles is not impeded and everything was achieved on time and on budget.
“Martyn’s Law is on the horizon and it is the responsibility of premises owners and operators to ensure they keep staff and members of the public safe from terrorist acts, starting with physical security barriers.
“Our Leicester Hotel Brooklyn installation is an example of how complying with the law will look, using beautifully designed and rigorously tested products to create a ring of steel.”
This is the latest stop on our company journey which began in the wake of a vehicle-borne attack on Glasgow International Airport in 2007, which prompted us to start developing bespoke HVM products.
Our other innovations include reinforced street planters, blast-resistant litter bins and out Securipods, which are designed to protect crowds attending outdoor events in streets and open public spaces.
We were the first company to develop an ultra-shallow IWA-14-rated pedestrian guardrail that can prevent vehicles from mounting pavements on the sides of road bridges and was developed in the wake of the Westminster terror attack in London in 2017.
Elsewhere, our products have been installed in a host of towns and cities across the UK, including Leeds, Birmingham, Nottingham and London, where they have been used to protect the UK headquarters of two international banks and Brent Borough Council’s civic centre in Wembley.
