December 2004


The expertise of roofing and cladding specialists Ash & Lacy has helped create a new centre which is to become a focal point in the development of Coca Cola Championship team Coventry City FC. 

The Alan Higgs Centre - an £8 million project funded by the Higgs Charity – is a multi-purpose development on a 125 hectare site.  It is the new home to Coventry City Football Club’s successful Academy and the Coventry and Warwickshire County Netball team, as well as being the venue for County and National League games.

The main contractor on the project was Galliford Try Construction who appointed  Birmingham based Sharkey & Company to carry out the roofing work.  Sharkey & Company selected Ash & Lacy as one of the main roofing system suppliers having had direct experience on other projects using the Ashzip standing seam roofing package.

For the indoor football pitch and leisure centre, Ash & Lacy supplied over 5,000 square metres of Ashzip 400, renowned for its excellent performance in weatherproofing, heat retention and acoustics.  The self-curved roof, featuring the Ashgrid spacer support system, was manufactured on site at eaves level, with sheets produced at lengths of up to 40 metres using Ash & Lacy’s own mobile manufacturing unit.  The Ashgrid system enables the robust achievement of the required thermal insulation levels with Ashzip standing seams to meet Approved Document L2. 

Some 4,800 square metres of Ashzip sheet were employed and the structural deck was supplied in a white polyester finish, with a further 600 square metres in plain galvanised steel.  The exterior of the roof features a Plastisol Leathergrain coating in Pinewood Green. 

Ash & Lacy products also featured in the changing room roofs, with over 900 square metres of profiled flat sheet in Pinewood Green, combined with a small quantity of flat sheet to create a trapezoidal twin skin construction.

Other facilities within the centre include a modern fitness suite, a Health Spa with steam, sauna and therapy rooms, a crèche, indoor and outdoor play areas, two sports halls, four all-weather hard courts, an aerobic room and a function room with full kitchen facilities.  The leisure centre was created to serve the local community, and specifically for helping children within a 25 mile radius of Coventry’s City Centre. 

Ash & Lacy are also currently involved in the supply of materials for the roofing contract at the Sky Blues new 32,000 seater stadium, part of a £100 million development programme for the Coventry Arena.  Due to open in 2005, the Arena is to be run as a joint venture by Coventry City Council and the Higgs Charity.