KFC & Costa: Commercial Electrical Installation in Chippenham
Nulectrics delivered the full landlord electrical supply installation for a new KFC and Costa Coffee development in Chippenham, Wiltshire. The scope included Kingfisher LED street lighting on six resilient circuits, independent totem-pole circuits, pumping station and interceptor controls, and trace heating with frost protection on the site’s exposed mains water pipework.
Products & Materials Used
- Kingfisher LED street lighting columns
- Trace heating tape Thermostatic frost protection on exposed pipework
- Pumping station controls Interceptor beacons and control gear
The Challenge: Misplaced Duct Chambers and Exposed Mains Pipework
Duct Chamber Confusion and Exposed Mains Pipework
Two major challenges impacted this project:
-
Duct Chamber Confusion , The duct chambers had not been installed in the correct positions. This made it unclear which chamber connected to which until tested with a cable cobra.
-
Exposed Pipework , The mains water pipe ran under a bridge instead of being built into it, leaving it exposed to frost and potential flooding.
Resilient Lighting Circuits and Trace Heating Protection
-
Lighting was designed with multiple sensors, contactors, and six separate circuits, ensuring resilience if a circuit failed.
-
Entry and exit totem poles were placed on independent circuits for backup operation.
-
Installed trace heating tape on exposed pipework, controlled by a thermostatic probe to activate heating automatically in cold conditions.
-
Lagged the pipework with insulation and protected it with a metal guard to ensure durability and safeguard against rising river levels.
The Solution: Repositioned Ducting and Kingfisher LED Street Lighting
Nulectrics provided a full landlord supply installation for the Chippenham KFC and Costa development. Key elements included:
-
Kingfisher LED street lighting with six separate circuits
-
Independent circuits for entry and exit totem poles
-
Pumping station and interceptor controls with beacons
-
Trace heating system with automatic frost protection for exposed water pipework
The project delivered a resilient, energy-efficient system designed for safety, compliance, and long-term performance.
The Result: A Resilient Retail Site Ready for High-Traffic Trade
This commercial installation supported the safe and reliable operation of a high-traffic retail development. By combining LED lighting, resilient circuit design, and frost-protected water systems, Nulectrics ensured the site’s infrastructure was both efficient and built to last.
See our commercial electrical services in Chippenham and UK-Nationwide, or read our commercial rewire timeline guide.
Gallery
Frequently asked questions
What does a landlord electrical supply installation involve?
Providing the incoming supply infrastructure that individual tenant units then connect into. That covers ducting and cabling routes, distribution equipment, metering positions, and any shared external services such as car park and signage lighting. Tenant fit-out works are separate and follow later.
How are duct chambers positioned on a retail development?
They are set out from the approved drawings during groundworks, before surfacing. Problems arise when chambers are installed to an earlier drawing revision or shifted to suit other trades, which is what happened here. Verifying positions against the current revision before surfacing avoids expensive remedial work.
Who is responsible for exposed mains pipework on a site?
It depends on the contract, but exposed services are a safety issue for whoever holds the site. Practically, the electrical contractor flags it, the principal contractor coordinates the fix, and the utility is involved if their apparatus is affected. Leaving it unresolved is not an option on an active site.
How long does a retail unit electrical installation take?
Landlord supply works on a development of this type typically run several weeks, phased around groundworks and building progress. Tenant fit-out follows separately and is usually much quicker because the infrastructure is already in place and only the internal installation remains.
What lighting is used on retail car parks?
Column-mounted LED street lighting, specified for the required lux levels and uniformity across the parking area, with photocell or timed control. LED has largely replaced discharge lamps because of lower running cost, better control, and much longer service intervals on columns that are awkward to access.
