£260m Retail Complex Protected by Advanced Panels

Meyer Bergman’s £260 million shopping and leisure complex, ‘The Broadway’ in Bradford, UK, is being protected by industry-leading fire panels from Advanced.

The Broadway is the latest UK retail venture for Meyer Bergman, which also owns The Bentall Centre in Kingston upon Thames and London’s iconic Burlington Arcade. It is home to over 570,000 sq ft of retail and leisure units, plus 1,300 parking spaces. Advanced protects numerous retail destinations around the world, including Westfield Stratford City, in East London, and Harvey Nichols’ Birmingham store.

At the heart of The Broadway’s active fire protection system, which covers all areas of the shopping centre, is a network of 10 Advanced MxPro 5 intelligent multiprotocol panels. This is augmented with a TouchControl touchscreen repeater panel, a special evacuation zone control package, a BMS interface, and a bespoke PC-based graphical user interface. The network was designed, configured and commissioned by Carlton Fire Systems Ltd, a long-time Advanced partner, with the installation of equipment and cables being undertaken by Pitts Wilson Electrical.

Carl Purkiss, spokesperson for Carlton Fire, said: “Advanced panels are well known for their performance, quality and ease of use. They are manufactured to a very high standard and their reliability is unrivalled. We needed a system that fulfilled all of the client’s requirements and the Advanced panels fitted the specifications, especially the new TouchControl panel.”

TouchControl is a fully functional remote terminal and repeater, with a 10-inch HD touchscreen, that delivers new and innovative solutions including Active Maps and zone plans, which are easily added to the system from almost any drawing or image, even Google Maps. As well as graphical control and indication, the unique TouchControl interface offers fire panel, network control and reporting right down to individual device level, allowing users to immediately identify the location of a fire alert. Devices in fire, fault, disablement and test status can be controlled using dynamic colour-coded status buttons. TouchControl panels can also run presentations or slideshows when not in active mode.

Ian Ward, General Manager of The Broadway, commented: “The Broadway represents a major investment by Meyer Bergman in the city of Bradford. We’re proud to develop the finest retail and leisure facilities for our tenants and customers, and this includes fire protection. The complex was the first in the UK to open without a fire marshal as the system was completed ahead of schedule, and we have complete confidence in the capabilities of the Advanced panels.”

MxPro is the fire industry’s leading multiprotocol fire solution, offering customers a choice of two panel ranges, four detector protocols and a completely open installer network that enjoys free training and support. With EN54 parts 2, 4 and 13 approval, MxPro 5 panels can be used in single loop, single panel format or easily configured into high speed, 200 panel networks covering huge areas.

Advanced’s legendary ease of installation and configuration and wide peripheral range make it customisable to almost any application and it is found in challenging and prestigious sites around the world including western Europe’s tallest building, The Shard.

Neil Parkin, sales manager for Advanced, said: “We are delighted that Advanced products have been specified for such a high-profile installation. Meyer Bergman is one of the world’s largest development companies and it’s great to add them to our global client portfolio. MxPro panels are the ideal choice for this type of installation, combining proven reliability with innovation and ease of use.”

Advanced is a world leader in the development and manufacture of intelligent fire systems. The legendary performance, quality and ease of use of its products sees Advanced specified in locations all over the world, from single panel installations to large multi-site networks. Advanced’s products include complete fire detection systems, multi-protocol fire panels, extinguishing control, fire paging and false alarm management systems. More details can be found on the website at www.advancedco.com.