2024 rewind: Bailey Street Furniture Group’s year in review

The scope of projects completed by Bailey Street Furniture Group in 2024 illustrates the incredible versatility and breadth of the company’s product range, as well as its expertise in providing solutions for all kinds of outdoor applications.

Over the last 12 months, the group’s four divisions have been tasked with meeting numerous specification and design goals for clients in sectors in including schools, higher education, town centre redevelopment and the public realm. The recurring objectives met for clients include providing facilities which encourage greater cycle use, creating spaces in towns and cities where people can socialise and connect more, and boosting biodiversity and sustainability overall.

In this article we review six of the best BSFG projects during 2024 which demonstrate the group’s capabilities and may provide inspiration for future projects.

Reimagining an urban university’s green spaces

The contribution that BSFG products can make to creating vibrant green spaces in urban locations is perfectly illustrated in a project in the heart of Manchester Metropolitan University’s (MMU) campus. Here, the team provided a bespoke suite of street furniture for the reimagined All Saints Park, an ambitious project featuring impressive, bespoke tree surround seating and installations on complex, multi-level terrain.

Collaborating closely with all stakeholders, BSFG ensured that the project’s original design vision was fully realised, creating an inspiring and inviting space that not only enhances the aesthetic and functional aspects of the park, but also fosters an inclusive, biodiverse, and sustainable environment.

Bespoke seating and street furniture was supplied to designs that would integrate seamlessly into the park’s aesthetics and the surrounding university architecture. These included Tree Surround Benches and Curved Seating, Tiered Loungers and Back Wall Edge Benches, and Accessible Tables and Benches.

An additional central feature of the park is a timber podium bench, his is complemented by curved memorial garden benches, picnic tables, and litter bins, all installed to enhance usability while encouraging cleanliness and environmental respect.

Creating a new cycle hub at Bournemouth University

Cycle parking and facilities are key areas of BSFG’s work, with the group providing creative solutions to help clients achieve their sustainable transport goals. One of the most significant projects for BSFG in 2024 involved the creation of a substantial new cycle hub for Bournemouth University at their Talbot Campus.

The project was undertaken as part of the university’s ongoing sustainability initiative to encourage students, staff, and visitors to choose cycling rather than other modes of transport. A cycle hub was created as part of the university’s key infrastructural developments spanning 10m x 23m and standing at 3m tall.

The hub maximises available space, providing ample secure parking for a variety of bike types, including cargo bikes. It has a split design that enables a secure card-accessible section for staff and students with an open-access parking area for visitors.

A glass front optimises visibility and natural lighting whilst providing a modern aesthetic, and automated sliding doors make access easy and convenient. Motion-activated lighting and 24-hour CCTV are also integrated into this secure cycle parking area.

The hub also features a green, living roof to enhance the building’s environmental impact through improved biodiversity, and this also acts as an insulating layer. The sedum roof aligns with Bournemouth University’s sustainability goals, minimising the cycle hub’s carbon footprint while blending harmoniously with the surrounding woodland.

Enhancing accessibility and safety at a specialist school

BSFG works extensively with the education sector, given the value of well-designed and well-equipped outdoor spaces in supporting the development of young people, particularly for those with additional needs. One of the most interesting projects that BSFG delivered in this sector during 2024 was at Ash Field Academy, a specialist school in Leicester dedicated to providing high-quality education and support for pupils aged 4 to 19 with complex health and medical needs.

Here, the client sought to enhance accessibility and safety for pupils and staff through the installation of a bespoke entrance canopy, which BSFG’s AMV Playgrounds was ideally placed to deliver. The team designed and installed a multifaceted bespoke canopy and covered walkway that wraps around the school’s entrance and seamlessly covers the pathways around the building's exterior, merging smoothly with the new sections of the school building.

The project demonstrated how a carefully considered design can be successfully achieved through a highly skilled multi-disciplinary team.

Adding the finishing touches to a major coastal defences project

BSFG’s excellent track record of working with clients and developers on major public realm projects continued in 2024 with Phase 2 of the coastal defence project at Colwyn Bay Beach in North Wales.

In this project, the group was tasked with supplying a comprehensive street furniture package as the finishing touch to this extensive project. The coastal defence scheme was not only required to safeguard the seawall but also protect the properties and infrastructure behind it from ongoing threats posed by the sea and anticipated climate change impacts.

Part of the project involved upgrading the promenade, where the group provided solutions that balanced aesthetic goals with long-term durability, ensuring the investment would deliver maximum benefit to the community and promenade users.

A varied and extensive range of high-quality street furniture elements was utilised to create an inviting and vibrant stretch of seafront.  This included Anastasio / Makatite benches, Break Time Tables and chairs, Stone benches , Bailo Seating, Kore Seating, bespoke oak sleeper benches and Live Loungers.

Bringing a unique and playful theme to the new Stockport Interchange

Another major public realm project successfully delivered in 2024 was in the heart of Stockport. The company worked alongside BDP and CW Studio to develop a range of design-led, functional furniture for the town’s new transport interchange.

This state-of-the-art facility was created to improve public transport for Stockport and connecting locations across Manchester, Cheshire and beyond. Uniquely, it features an elevated green space surrounding a large oval opening bringing natural light to the bus stops beneath.

Splash benches were dotted around this space to provide inviting and playful seating, plus Tree Line modular concrete seating units. Two large bespoke oval planters with integrated seating were also designed for the project. These consist of five self-contained sections that are movable and easily assembled into place, with no groundwork required, and they feature integrated hardwood seat toppers. Various seating options are therefore available, including with backrests and armrests to accommodate the needs of elderly transport interchange users.

Transforming cycle facilities at a health and wellbeing centre

One final 2024 project that showcases the breadth of BSFG’s capabilities is another cycle parking development. In this project, the company was tasked with delivering a new secure cycle hub adjacent to Windsor Leisure Centre for cyclists to park while using the Stovell Road wellbeing facilities.

A key aim for the cycle park was to ensure users could feel confident about the security of their bikes whilst using the centre, which is why the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead council specified a solution from BSFG.

The hub created features a security entry system and 36 parking spaces. These are equipped with Easylift Two Tier racks, Sheffield Stands, and cargo stands to cater for a wide range of cyclists. A Bike Pump and XL Repair Stand were also provided for ‘on-the-go’ bike repairs, along with lockers for cyclists to securely store their helmets and belongings.

In addition, the hub was constructed with a green roof to provide a sustainable drainage approach and enhance the environmental benefits by encouraging wildlife and contributing to improved air quality.

Expanding the range through exciting new products!

Every year, BSFG is looking for opportunities to add new and exciting products to its portfolio, and 2024 was no different. BSFG expanded its portfolio with the addition of two new ranges – City Design and HITSA – which are exclusively available in the UK from the company.

City Design is a stylish and internationally-renowned range of products from a leading Italian designer and manufacturer, which enables specifiers, contractors and other decision-makers to respond to emerging outdoor design trends.

The partnership offers a fresh perspective on everything from seating, cycle parking and shelters to barriers and bollards, and strengthens BSFG’s relationship with The Placemakers. This is a forward-thinking group of outdoor and indoor furniture designers and manufacturers which is a long-term supply partner of BSFG.

HITSA is an equally creative and uncompromising product range. A sister company of BSFG within the Dutch group CROWD (Creators of the Outdoor World), HITSA has an excellent reputation in the market for how effectively its high quality products can enhance urban spaces, blending aesthetics with functionality.

Durability, corrosion resistance and quality are core characteristics of HITSA products. The range available includes tables with benches, chairs, litter bins, and loungers, available individually or as sets. These are all characterised by designs with clean lines and simplicity, reflecting a typically Scandinavian aesthetic capable of enhancing any urban space.

Re-appointment as a prequalified NHS supplier for cycle parking

In addition to continuously developing the product range, BSFG has also been working behind the scenes to ensure customers in the NHS can procure the company’s products most efficiently. In 2024, BSFG was successfully re-appointed as a prequalified supplier for NHS Shared Business Services (SBS) for the cycle parking and infrastructure framework.

The appointment under the scope of Lot 2, which includes the provision of secure cycle parking for storage of other micro mobility, Sheffield stands, cycle rack, clamps and lockers, and e-bike charging points, means specifiers within the NHS can access BSFG through direct award. This is a PCR15 compliant route to market, giving the flexibility to directly award a contract to a single supplier without the need to run a further competition, saving valuable time and resources.

Looking to elevate your next project with innovative outdoor solutions? Get in touch with us Today to discover how Bailey Street Furniture Group can help you create functional, sustainable, and inspiring spaces.

Speak to our team on  01625 322 888 or email enquiries@bsfg.co.uk