Site clearance and removal of residual materials, Central Park, Avonmouth: October 2010

This summer, Dyer & Butler were awarded the contract by Severnside Land Distribution Limited for Central Park: a 640 acre warehouse and distribution development which is destined to become the largest site of its kind in the South West, the completed project capable of accommodating over one-million sq ft of storage units and logistic hubs. Phase one of this £3.23m scheme required a significant amount of site clearance and, with its reputation for fast and efficient work becoming more well known within the construction industry, who better to carry out the task than Spencer.

Situated not far from the coast on a plot of land bordered by the busy Avonmouth industrial area and the M48 M5/M4 link road near the Severn Crossing, work began in October on this highly sensitive ecological location. Spencer was one of the first sub-contractors on-site to install the newt exclusion fencing, to avoid the possibility of the great crested newt trapping and relocating within the site boundary. Due to the significant reptile presence on this site, sensitive search and clearance processes were developed and instigated before the tree harvesting commenced and the, brash, scrub and vegetation collection began.

Due to the project’s demanding schedule, speed was of the essence, to allow work to begin on the construction of the road network and site infrastructure. Using a range of its excavators and forestry handling equipment, Spencer went into action and, as it cleared the estimated 1000 tonnes of wood-based materials, it converted as much of the residue as possible into biomass. This would subsequently be used as wood-fuel for power stations and industrial boilers.

Spencer’s work involved using its hydraulic sheering machine, capable of cutting through a trunk of up to 600mm, its brash bailing machines and a press collector, which assisted with the efficient transportation of the recycled biomass fibre to the stacking areas, where it would await its onward journey to the Western Bio energy plant at Port Talbot.

Once the ground-covering vegetation had been removed, this just left the stumps. Unsurprisingly, Spencer has the equipment and knowledge of how to best deal with these often difficult to remove items and, after using excavators to pull them out of the ground, its 400bhp Awhi Tracked Mulcher was able to reduce them to mulch in seconds.

Once again, Spencer completed its part in this important project on schedule and on budget and is likely to be asked to carry out other tasks as the Avonmouth development continues to take shape. Indeed, the Operations Director for Dyer & Butler has commented that he was ‘very impressed’ with the work carried out by Spencer.