More than two million hours have now been spent on construction of the Perry Barr Residential Scheme in Birmingham.
That’s the equivalent of over 228 years of activity on a site which will provide 1,400 much needed new homes in the city when complete.
Lendlease, the principal contractor for the scheme on behalf of Birmingham City Council, announced the milestone at the same time that they revealed the scheme has beaten a number of targets it was set in order to help support the local economy and bring wider community benefits. Over £200m has been spent with the local community and more than 1,250 people have been upskilled on the site. The scheme is also on course to beat its employment target, with more than 330 new jobs created for local people.
As world leaders and leading construction industry figures meet in Glasgow for the COP26 climate change conference, the project has also been taking its own steps to promote sustainability.
New site hoardings have recently been erected around the site, designed by students from Birmingham Metropolitan college with the brief of raising awareness of Single Use Plastics (SUP). Most plastic materials are derived from fossil fuels, including oil and gas, and the process of manufacturing and disposing of these materials emits greenhouse gases. Tackling plastic consumption can therefore help to reduce the threat posed to wildlife and marine species, and lower carbon emissions.
The hoardings were inspired by the SUP Ambassadors programme, a project developed with students from Eden Boys’ School, that aims to raise awareness of SUP and its impact on the environment, people and wildlife. Three designs were shortlisted, and instead of one winner being chosen, the three designs were combined to produce a final display which can now be seen on hoardings at the site.
Lendlease, together with construction partners, also sponsored the production of a new book aimed at educating primary school children on single use plastics, which was launched at Calshot Primary School, and will now be distributed to primary schools across Birmingham.
Cllr Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “We’ve reached yet another significant milestone on the Perry Barr Residential Scheme as we celebrate two million hours worked on the site. This is a huge step to delivering much-needed new homes for Birmingham, and I look forward to seeing this vibrant new neighbourhood take shape.”
The tallest building on the scheme tops out at fifteen storeys and the first residents are expected to move in during 2023. The scheme is part of the wider £700million-plus regeneration of Perry Barr in the north-west of the city, including improved leisure and community facilities along with upgraded transport infrastructure.
Lendlease are the Management Contractor for the Perry Barr Residential Scheme, working with Kier, Willmott Dixon and Vinci UK to deliver the project.
Anna Evans, Lendlease’s Project Director for the Perry Barr Residential Scheme, said: “This is a major milestone, particularly in the face of challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. But it’s the positive impact on the local community and our efforts to raise awareness of the importance of sustainability that will have a lasting impact, and it’s something Lendlease will continue to strive for as we aim for net-zero carbon by 2025 and absolute-zero by 2040.”
