The works were carried out to provide a development to attract high technology business users and consisted of bulk earthworks to form building platforms, access roads and associated drainage, water features including aquatic planting and landscaping together with forestry planting, hedges and standard tree planting.
Bulk earthworks involved a topsoil strip of 60,000m2 followed by a cut / fill exercise of 150,000m2 in mainly clay materials. Careful selection of materials for filling was necessary due to the variable nature of the ground. Topsoil handling was also undertaken with great care as required by the Specification. Earthworks operations were carried out in the main by in-house plant resources – dozers, excavators, dumptrucks.
A decorative water feature to the value £300,000 was constructed. This consisted of a reinforced concrete cascade structure with special concrete finish, curved walls and granite cills. A substantial recycling pumping system was installed. High quality hard landscaping consisting of paving, steps and granite setts was constructed. Soft landscaping involved the planting of marginal and aquatic plants in gravel mulches. A large scale attenuation pond to deal with drainage water before discharge to the main watercourse was constructed by excavating 36,000m2 of material. Inlets and outfalls from the pond consisted of reinforced concrete headwalls and stone pitching / filtration beds. This pond was planted with marginal and aquatic plants.
Landscaping works consisted of forest planting, hedges, standard trees, grass seeding and the construction of pathways around and through the site. Forest planting area was 6000m2. Beech hedging over 2000m length. Hawthorn hedging over 1500m length. 600 no. standard trees were planted in tree pits alongside roads and footpaths. An area of 130,0002 was cultivated and grass seeded. Pathways for use by the general public were formed using timber edging, stone sub base and whin dust top coat. The length installed was 1000m. The length of metal fence installed was 2500m. Landscaping works were subject to a 3yr maintenance period.
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