Press Release from Telford & Wrekin Council dated 27 July 2011:
Come and see behind the Paddock Mount hoardings
Telford & Wrekin Council is throwing open the gates to the biggest earthworks excavation in the borough for decades – as the public are invited to come and see “behind the hoardings” at Paddock Mount in Dawley.
The council’s contractor Birse Civils are shifting 2.5m tonnes of earth and rubble from the site, in preparation for the construction of the new Sports and Learning Community to replace the existing Phoenix School.
Construction firm Kier Moss is due to submit a full planning application to build the new Sports and Learning Community in the next couple of weeks.
Now local residents are being given the chance to view the site at a special open day on Thursday August 11.
Birse Civils are currently excavating up to 11,500 cubic metres of material from the site per day, using an 80 tonne excavator and two 50 tonne excavators.
Work started back in September and is roughly half way to completion with the site expected to be ready for construction by the end of the year.
Telford & Wrekin Council’s deputy leader Richard Overton, who has special responsibility for Borough Towns Development, said: “This is a very major project and I have to say that the scale of the work going on is absolutely massive.
“It’s an impressive site and demonstrates what an ambitious project the construction of the new Sports and Learning Community will be.
“We felt it was too good an opportunity to miss to allow members of the public through the gates to view first hand the scale and depth of the work that is going on to prepare the site for construction.”
Members of the public will be able to view the site from a vantage point inside a fenced area during two specific sessions on Thursday August 11. The first is between 11am and 2pm and the second between 6-7pm.