We recently delivered civil engineering works at Calke Abbey in Derbyshire, home to a National Trust Grade 1 listed house, with aspects of our works taking place in areas designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a national nature reserve, notably Hatherley Brook, which runs beneath the site and is home to protected white crayfish. All employees, subcontractors and visitors to the site were made aware of their responsibility to the utmost levels of biosecurity and protecting the environment through our environmental management plan which included comprehensive site inductions, regular Tool Box talk briefings as well as daily site briefings.
The potential for damage or pollution to the natural environment and its plant and wildlife within the Calke Abbey site was identified as a major risk at preconstruction stage – the works took place during breeding season and of particular note, the watercourses were home to rare beetles and white crayfish. Consequently, Fitzgerald’s in-house planning team redesigned aspects of the works so that we could maintain watercourses to facilitate water movement throughout the site.