December update on the redevelopment of Northfield Leisure Centre – from construction company ISG.
Hello, as promised, here is our second newsletter to keep you up-to-date with how we are progressing with the project to re-develop your local leisure centre.
As you know, once completed, the new facility will include:-
- 25 metre 6 lane swimming pool
- Training / learner pool
- Changing village
- Fitness suite
- Dance studio
- A community room
As you have probably noticed and can see from the photographs [..] we have demolished the old buildings and dug up their foundations.
We are currently crushing the brick and concrete rubble for re-use on site as a mat on which to build the new facilities.
You’ll be glad to hear that we managed to remove the crest from the front of the building, the two foundation stones and the weather vane and have stored them safely for potential re-use on the new scheme.
On the theme of re-using and re-cycling, the metal recovered from the old building has been sent away to be recycled and the timber has been sent to be chipped and used as bio-fuel. As far as possible throughout the project we will divert as much waste as we can from landfill.
Upcoming activities
Over the next couple of months we will carry out the following works:-
- Completion of the crushing of the rubble. Unfortunately this is, by its very nature, a noisy operation but we are using modern machinery and have sited the crusher to minimize any disruption to the surrounding residents.
- Commence construction of the new building, starting with the basement plant room for the new pools and progressing on to the new pools themselves.
The construction of the concrete parts of the new building will continue for approximately 5 months, after which the steel frame for the first floor and roof will be erected.
While we are constructing the concrete elements it might appear that not a lot is happening as very little will be visible over the top of the hoarding, but we will be working hard behind the hoarding to deliver the new leisure centre as soon as we can.
In the new year we will cut some viewing panels into the hoarding so that people on the footpath along Bristol Road South can see what we are up to.
Considerate Constructors Scheme
As an associate member of the Considerate Constructors Scheme, ISG are committed to provide a first class service to our clients, we are also extremely passionate about ensuring daily operations cause minimum disruption to the local community during our works. With this in mind we are opening up various ways of communication with the local residents.
- Monthly newsletters such as this one that will keep you informed about what we are doing and will introduce some of the site team.
- A notice board has been erected on the site hoarding by the main gates.
- Scheme website; details to follow and a link will be displayed on the notice board.
- Monthly drop-in meetings onsite every first Friday of the month, please feel free to drop in if you have any questions.
- Visits to local schools to be arranged in association with our client, Serco.
- Vision panels will be cut in the hoarding to allow pedestrians to see what we are up to.
- We will also be working with B31 Voices to make information about the project more widely available. They can be contacted in various ways, as follows:- www.b31.org.uk Tw: @b31voices; www.facebook.com/b31voices
Important Health, Safety & Environmental Information
I would like to thank all local residents for continuing to bear with us whilst we carry out our works. Your safety is paramount to us at ISG and therefore we do have to insist on stringent measures to maintain our high standards.
ISG strive to ensure that the highest standards of Health, Safety and Welfare are maintained for all employees, sub-contractors, client third parties, visitors and members of the public involved in the project.
We are very aware that traffic can get very busy around this area, particularly at each end of the day. As such we have arranged the site entrance and have it manned at all times to ensure that delivery vehicles are taken off Great Stone Road immediately so as not to disrupt traffic.
Also, in order to minimize disruption to the surrounding areas we will not be working at weekends or Bank holidays unless there is a specific operation that is less disruptive if carried out at these times. We will let you know of any such operations in the weeks leading up to them in more detail.
The site has been set up with CCTV cameras which are monitored off-site, with mobile patrols that can visit if the need arises. Over the Christmas period we have arranged to have 24hr/day manned security on site to ensure that any issues can be dealt with as quickly as possible.
As part of our first aid provision on site we have an emergency defibrillator.
This is also available for use by members of the public if an incident occurs near the site.
We will put posters on the hoarding to inform people and will register it on www.heartsafe.org.uk/AED-Locations, a database of AED’s available for public use.
If you have any questions about the project or site safety, please contact me, Mark Glanville, Project Manager, mark.glanville@isgplc.com, or drop in to the office and I will be happy to speak with you.
Last but not least I and my team would like to wish you, your families and loved ones a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Mark Glanville, Project Manager, ISG