Case study: Overstone Manor, Northampton

The Overstone Manor in Northampton is a large, open-plan pub-restaurant, which serves between 2,500 and 3,000 customers a week.

The outlet has for some time been divided into designated smoking and non-smoking areas.

To improve air quality, Scottish & Newcastle Retail enlisted Vectaire to design and install a comprehensive ventilation system to comply fully with the charter and provide comfortable smoking and non-smoking areas.

Vectaire installed the system in February.

Wall and roof-mounted fans were added.

These achieve an airflow rate up to 16 litres per person per second in the smoking areas and eight litres in the non-smoking areas.

Importantly, with strategic positioning of the supply and extract fans, the system prevents smoke drifting to the non-smoking area.

The ventilation management control system was designed specifically for use within the managed pubco's outlets.

It automatically adjusts the ventilation capacity in accordance with air pollution and occupancy.

Being energy efficient, it is also an effective tool in complying with current Building Regulations.

Manager Philip Rushton says: "Not only has this greatly improved the level of air quality in the building as a whole, but the system allows for enhanced ventilation for the bar staff by providing a tempered supply of fresh,incoming air.

"The system runs continuously during opening hours and the difference in the quality of the air is immediately noticeable.

Not only has the system made the surroundings more pleasant for our customers, but it makes an enormous difference to the working environment for our staff.