Calke Abbey SSSI National Trust Outdoor Hub

Fitzgerald Contractors successfully delivered a wide range of civil engineering works at Calke Abbey in Derbyshire, home to a National Trust Grade 1 listed house, with aspects of our contract taking place in areas designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and national nature reserve. The scheme comprised extensive earthworks and drainage, a new 100 space car park, including geo-grid for car parking spaces, footpaths, cycle routes and outdoor recreation areas, including natural play and nature trails over 600 acres of parkland.

The primary objective of the scheme was the safe and efficient construction of the proposed works whilst maintaining the existing amenities of Calke Abbey and mitigating the impact of the works upon the local environment. The potential for damage or pollution to the natural environment and its plant and wildlife within the Calke Abbey site during the construction period was identified as a major risk – indeed the site is home to a rare beetle that is only found at two other locations in the UK.

Critical to our delivery plan was informing our teams of the necessity for the utmost attention to bio-security throughout the construction period and reinforcing how their individual positive and considerate actions were vital to an environmental incident free project.

Just some of the measures that the team put in place were daily disinfection of site personnel’s PPE, ensuring delivery vehicles remained on pre-determined routes, the erection and maintenance of tree and habitat fencing together with daily environmental monitoring. In support of this the team included details of all bio-security measures in all material and subcontract orders placed, with a special emphasis on our supply chain partners incorporating such measures within their individual risk assessments and method statements.