Ollerton chimney firm gets Eastenders contract

A1 Flue Systems is due to start work imminently at Elstree Studios in North London as part of the BBC’s redevelopment of the site, which will see the set of the fictional suburb of Walford grow from 7,400 to 9,000 square metres to include new locations, streets and buildings, reflecting a greater sense of the modern East End of London

As part of the redevelopment of the studios, the energy centre is being moved.

This requires new flue and chimney systems, which the Nottinghamshire-based company is due to complete by September 2014.

The family-run company has confirmed that the value of the contract is around £60,000.

The director of the family flue firm, TJ Moir, is delighted that A1 has added another prestigious project to its already impressive portfolio.

“Everyone at A1 Flue Systems is utterly delighted to have secured the contract to design, manufacture and install our flue systems on the set of one of the UK’s most iconic and enduring TV programmes,” she said.

“A1 has a long track record of delivering on such high-profile projects, and we can now add Albert Square to the list that also includes The Shard, The London Eye and Buckingham Palace in the capital.”

Ms Moir added: “We employ 130 people and lots of them are EastEnders fans, so this contract is extra special to us. We know they will all be watching avidly to see if they can spot our flues on the TV.”

Work to relocate the studio’s energy centre is a high priority in the four-year project, and this is typical of many of the commercial projects that A1 gets involved with, according to fellow Director John Hamnett.

“Because we are the UK’s leading experts in designing flue systems, we are always involved from the outset in working with contractors on CHP plants. That is really exciting for us,” said John.

“The EastEnders set is very straightforward by comparison to projects such as The Shard, which push our knowledge and expertise to the limit – but the variety of the projects we complete makes A1 a great place to work.”

For more information about A1 Flue Systems, visit www.a1flues.co.uk.