27/10/2026
Project spotlight – Iceland Store, March, Cambridgeshire
Following the collapse of the roof at the Iceland store in March, Cambridgeshire, we were approached by one of our existing clients to provide a temporary roof and access scaffold to allow repair and refurbishment works to get underway.
This wasn't a straightforward scaffold installation, with several challenges to overcome before we could get started.
One of the main issues was the condition of the existing building. Due to the structural damage caused by the roof collapse, we were only able to tie the scaffold into the building up to approximately 4m in height. Anything above this required a different approach to ensure the scaffold had the stability it needed.
We worked alongside Arthea Consulting Engineers, who carried out a detailed drone survey of the property, producing point cloud and photogrammetry models. They also worked closely with the existing structural engineers to develop a scaffold design that could work around the site restrictions.
The scaffold incorporated buttressing at the front of the building, with a smaller buttress at the rear positioned on the existing load-bearing flat roof, alongside ties into suitable locations on the structure.
We also erected independent scaffolds along both gable ends, providing full perimeter access around the building and allowing us to create a fully enclosed, weatherproof scaffold to protect the property while the repairs were carried out.
Another challenge was the limited space available, particularly at the front of the store due to its location in the centre of March, as well as the restricted working area on the flat roof at the rear.
For the temporary roof, we used the DESSA UNI 780 rolling roof system, with 780mm deep roof beams installed at 2.5m centres along the length of the scaffold.
We chose the DESSA rolling system because of the site constraints and the programme we were working towards. Using the DESSA Trax system and castors allowed us to roll the roof into position, making the installation process more practical and helping us get the building protected as quickly as possible.
The quicker we could get the temporary roof in place, the sooner the other trades could get inside and start the refurbishment works.
Projects like this show the importance of careful planning, experience and working together to find practical solutions for challenging sites.
If you've got a project that requires a temporary roof, specialist access or a more complex scaffolding solution, get in touch with our team.
📷 - Cambs times
📞 0114 245 1010
✉️ [email protected]
🌐 www.tridentscaffolding.com
