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Government Case Study

Cardiff Magistrates Court

A new EN54-compliant Public Address & Voice Alarm system for one of Wales’ busiest magistrates courts — redesigned mid-project, manufactured and delivered within a week, and commissioned with bilingual Welsh / English voice messaging.
1
Cardiff Magistrates Court
Client
Ventol Fire & Security
Project Value
£89,000
Timeframe
9 Weeks
Manufacturer
Ambient System EU
Completed
April 2025
448
SPEAKERS INSTALLED
Public and back-of-house areas with new FP cabling.
3300 W
HEAD-END RACK
36U head-end equipment fabricated in-house.
2 LANG
BILINGUAL MESSAGING
Professional Welsh and English voice recordings.
Scope of Work

Project Delivery

Speakers

Supply and install of 448 speakers across public and back-of-house areas, including new FP cabling for the new circuits.

Head End Equipment

Supply, fabricate, deliver and commission a new 3300 W 36U rack as the central control of the system.

Design

Value-engineering of the existing third-party design to improve speaker layout, head-end specification, and microphone usability.

Commissioning

Out-of-hours commissioning programme including the recording of bilingual voice messages in Welsh and English.

Project Overview

The Story

Voxiss were contracted by Ventol Fire & Security to install a new Public Address and Voice Alarm system for the Magistrates Court in Cardiff.

Working on a third-party design, it became clear early in the project that the design was not suitable for its intended purpose. Voxiss made the following changes to keep the project on time and within budget:

  • Redesigned the head-end equipment to meet project needs
  • Sourced an alternative manufacturer
  • Fabricated and delivered the head-end equipment within one week
  • Adjusted the speaker layout to improve SPL and STI
  • Improved the microphone layout for easier operator use

As the Court is in Cardiff, professional voice messages were recorded in both Welsh and English to meet the requirements of the Welsh Language Act.

The full system was installed and commissioned in nine weeks of out-of-hours work, with staff training delivered alongside handover — on time and within budget.

Scope of Work

Project Delivery

Manufacturer Lead Time

The originally chosen manufacturer could not meet the required time scales of the project programme.

Confined Cable Routes

New circuits had to be installed within minimum space and limited access throughout the building.

Bilingual Messaging

Bespoke voice messaging required in Welsh and English to satisfy regional compliance and accessibility expectations.

Reduced Site Access

Court operating hours placed significant constraints on the installation programme — resolved through out-of-hours working.

Compressed Fabrication

The change of manufacturer mid-project meant the head-end rack had to be designed, fabricated and delivered inside a single week.

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