Hiring preferred

The only room it could find was being used to store completed axles, meaning that they would have to be moved elsewhere. But where? 

Options to build a new facility or invest in off-site storage were explored, but eventually rejected, in favour of a cheaper and more convenient option – storing them in a temporary building.

Nissan, which took delivery of a 1,966sqm temporary warehouse from Spaciotempo earlier this year, is now one of a growing number of UK companies fuelling a current demand for temporary buildings.

Undoubtedly this is partly due to the economy. Order books are filling again and companies are increasing production, meaning that they need more space for extra staff, materials and products. 

Many of them are out-growing their premises but, with banks still unwilling to lend, and companies still watching their costs while the outlook remains uncertain, few are able to invest in building new facilities.

This is where temporary buildings come in. The method of their construction – using an aluminium frame fastened securely to any surface – means that they are more cost-effective and faster to erect than traditional buildings.

Another attractive advantage, which is why more companies are hiring rather than buying temporary buildings, is that if the increase in orders proves to be short term, then companies can ask for them to be dismantled and removed.

Alternatively, those who want to increase or reduce their buildings can do so, because the buildings are modular and easily adapted.

But perhaps their most attractive quality is that the best of today’s temporary buildings are temporary by name only. They are sturdy, long-lasting and are compliant with the building regulations for snow and wind loadings.

While it is true that the vast majority of temporary buildings are still used as warehousing space – requiring little more than lighting and roller doors - increasingly, they are being put to other uses, as interim retail outlets complete with glazed sliding electronic doors, flooring systems and sophisticated heating solutions.

Last year Spaciotempo supplied a 1,200sqm building, with special portal beams fitted to the steel framework to create an unobstructed space and steel-clad sandwich wall panels and a thermo-inflated roof to support a chilled environment, for a Kent-based distributor of fresh fruit to major supermarkets. 

At Exeter Airport a temporary building is being used as a loading canopy – itself a growing requirement – on an exposed site, where tiny holes in the specially made wall panels allow high winds which sweep across the runway to pass through safely, whilst keeping the rain and snow at bay. 

Yet although the flexibility associated with temporary buildings can make them the ideal solution in the right circumstances, the planning laws surrounding them are a further help.

The law states that temporary buildings do not need planning permission if they are only going to be used for 28 days or less, or if they are being used an interim solution during a rebuild or refurbishment project. 

Otherwise, they need permission, and although it is advisable to get permission before starting work, many companies build first and apply retrospectively because they cannot wait for the due process – which takes around eight weeks on average – to run its course.

It is a grey area, but in most cases, as long as they satisfy planners’ demands, companies get the permission they want, because reputable suppliers know what is and what isn’t allowed – and will be able to advise accordingly.

What’s more, councils tend to be supportive of temporary buildings, because they represent investment, success and jobs.