A new 270 place Primary School, located on the Former Chubb Fire and Security Site. The site has a number of constraints, which required early engagement with the client and stakeholders, in order to maximise the sites opportunity.
Schools & Further Education - Wales
On the site of a former ‘Chubb’ factory, we have helped to deliver a new primary school in Fernale as part of a multi-million pound community investment.
The school offers modern facilities for 270 pupils and includes a 30-place Cylch Meithrin, a Multi Use Games Area, grass sports pitch, external play areas, and car parking.
The site has a number of constraints, which required early engagement with the client and stakeholders, in order to maximise the sites opportunity.
The site suffered with significant amount of contamination on site, including very challenging contaminated ground water. Curtins expertise were instrumental in developing a remediation strategy that satisfied NRW and the CLO, securing a Planning consent on a site, which had failed on numerous previous schemes.
The site had a number of constraints including challenging topography, existing DCWW assets running through the site, and difficult outfalls. Early engagement with DCWW allowed easements and diversion routes to be agreed, which were fundamental in developing the scheme proposals for the site. In addition, due to challenging outfalls and the SAB request for requiring better than green field run-off rates, early hydraulic modelling of the network was required in RIBA 2, which was critical to save space by ensuring the attenuation was kept as efficient as possible.
The SuDS strategy maximises green infrastructure to boost the biodiversity and amenity value of the site. The SuDS management train provides raingardens and ponds that are integrated into the landscaping concept, as well as rainwater harvesting being a key feature of the SuDS, promoting water re-use in the school.
The school is designed to be operationally net zero, with a focus on Passivhaus details and a fabric first approach. Curtins worked with the team to identify structural solutions that not only supported this fabric first approach, but also minimised the embodied carbon in the structure.
Copyright of images: Wynne Construction
Previous schemes failed to secure planning consent, creating a hurdle for new development.
Early discussions and engagement with DCWW helped in agreeing on easements and diversion routes essential for scheme development.
Before our civils and structures teams provided engineering for the new buildings, our environmental and geotechnical teams were onsite early in the project’s development.
The location of the new school was an industrial site where manufacturing of fire fighting equipment had taken place. Industrial legacy left a groundwater contamination issue that needed addressing with new emergent contaminants knows as PFAS (Per/Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) or ‘forever chemicals’ as well as chlorinated solvent contamination. Extensive ground investigation, assessment and modelling work required to get this site to a developable stage.
In addition to a Phase 2 ground investigation and interpretation services, our teams provided a Foundation Risk Assessment, Remediation Strategy development and specialist Remediation Contractor engagement, as well as overall monitoring and subsequent verification of all remediation work.
We also undertook a comprehensive ground investigation strategy. During this process, there were regulatory concerns surrounding potential mobilisation of contamination as well as vapour risk and ground gas. Through our investigations, we were able preserve the development timeline to ensure the school was operational from September 2024.
Green infrastructure led design promotes biodiversity and enhances the wellbeing of communities, so we bring this experienced approach to our projects in Wales, as well as the rest of the UK to deliver innovative and biophilic design, in harmony with the natural environment.
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