Keynsham Riverside & Temple Street Commercial Units

Skeletal Consulting Engineers are proud to be working with Bath & North East Somerset Council and Ferguson Mann Architects on the refurbishment and repurposing of the Keynsham Riverside and Temple Street Commercial Units — a project that will transform long-vacant ground-floor spaces into vibrant new uses at the heart of the town centre.

The wider Riverside complex, built in the early 1970s, is a prominent feature of Keynsham’s high street. While upper levels have been brought back into use in recent years, parts of the ground floor have remained empty. The Council’s initiative aims to revitalise these spaces, creating new commercial units and community facilities that will add life and activity back into this key location.

Skeletal have been appointed to provide civil and structural engineering design, ensuring the existing structure can be safely adapted to modern requirements. Our work has included developing the civil and structural strategy for internal reconfiguration, identifying blockwork walls for demolition, and designing new lintels to support remodelled layouts. We have also assessed and designed around the suspended precast hollow-core slab at ground floor level, which spans over an undercroft void — a key technical consideration for accommodating new drainage.

We have prepared a new foul water drainage strategy, including manhole coordination and connections, supported by CCTV investigations and core drilling to verify existing construction. Our work has also included details for new services integration, such as MVHR fixings to ribbed concrete ceilings and localised slab breakout for drainage.

This project represents a significant investment in Keynsham town centre, bringing long-empty spaces back into productive use and creating opportunities for businesses, community activities, and leisure. It also reflects the Council’s commitment to making better use of public assets — reducing ongoing costs while boosting vitality on the high street.

With Vinci Construction now appointed as contractor, works are due to commence shortly, and we look forward to supporting Bath & North East Somerset Council and Ferguson Mann Architects in delivering a scheme that will give this important local asset a new lease of life.