Middlegate Gardens
Sector: Leisure and recreation
Framework: SCAPE Construction
Project value: £779,000
Social value delivery: £414,000
Client satisfaction: 9/10
SME spend: 100%
“It’s great to have the new wheelchair accessible play ship installed as part of work to improve a number of play areas and create a new shared secure communal garden in the Middlegate Estate. I know all of our residents will really enjoy and appreciate the improvements to their area.”
Emma Flaxman-Taylor
Chair of the Housing and Neighbourhood committee at Great Yarmouth Borough Council
The introduction of safer, green, social spaces at Middlegate Gardens has completely transformed the area in Great Yarmouth for more than 1,000 residents living on the council-owned housing estate.
Consultation with residents revealed the need for safer, greener, social spaces as well as improved security to help tackle anti-social behaviour throughout five outdoor play and social spaces in King Street, Clarendon Close North, Clarendon Close South and Dorset Close.
With funding for the project secured via the Government’s Estate Regeneration Fund, Great Yarmouth Borough Council looked to accelerate its delivery by directly appointing Morgan Sindall Construction through the SCAPE National Construction framework. As well as ensuring early contractor involvement, the council was also able to benefit from SCAPE’s free feasibility offering, providing realistic, accurate forecast and delivery costs.
Across the estate a number of play areas were tired, and the pre-existing hardstanding games court had been identified by the local community as the source of anti-social behaviour and noise.
Engaging with the local community was paramount to the success of the project.
Warren Salmons, Morgan Sindall Construction’s Eastern Counties Business Development Manager, said: “This project’s main goal, like all others Morgan Sindall Construction complete, was to create genuine social value where it is most needed for the benefit of the local community. Through engaging with the local community, council and police we have not only fulfilled that goal in the finished work, but also throughout the whole project.”
Identified by the residents as a source of noise and anti-social behaviour, the former games court area now forms part of 2,500 sq. m of new green space with high-quality turf, alongside numerous trees, plants and flower beds, creating a private garden for the immediate houses for the surrounding residents to enjoy.
In addition, three new play areas were replaced and enhanced with new seating and improved lighting, and encompassing a SEN wheelchair accessible multi-play area for children with reduced mobility. All of the new playground equipment was made from sustainable materials in support of the council's sustainability strategy to managing natural spaces to support nature, and promoting sustainable choices.
Finally, new interconnecting paths were added to help promote movement through the communal areas, as well as link to other local facilities.
Throughout the project, the site team held a number of community engagement events to provide residents with the opportunity to have an active role in the delivery of their new communal gardens.
Keen to ensure the project delivered a meaningful social and economic legacy for the community, the project team worked hard to try keep the project spend locally. This saw close to 50% spent with companies located within 20 miles as well as 62.5% of labour from the area.
Four community engagement events were held over the 26-week delivery programme, with residents invited to engage with the project in a fun and informal setting. As well as educating local children on the importance of health and safety in construction, residents from the community also volunteered their time alongside Morgan Sindall’s site team, its supply chain and the council to improve the local area. This included painting fences, planting bulbs, installing bird boxes, and setting up nature habitats around Middlegate, Clarendon Close, and Dorset Close. Volunteers also got involved with cleaning up the local area and the removal of graffiti.
During the third community event, the project team worked closely with the Council and Norfolk Constabulary's to help reduce anti-social behaviour as part of their awareness week, with more than 75 people from the local area attending.
In total, the project team donated more than 41 hours and £1,300 towards the local community, which helped contribute to the project receiving near perfect Considerate Construction scores for their respect and integration with the neighbouring community (14/15) and an overall client satisfaction score of 9/10.
“Place as a route to stronger, healthier communities is vital. This consultative regeneration project has enabled a green space that will be of great value to residents in Great Yarmouth and provides an inclusive, outdoor environment to be enjoyed. SCAPE is pleased to have been able to accelerate the delivery of this project through our Construction framework.”
Mark Robinson
Group Chief Executive at SCAPE
96% of waste
diverted from landfill
62.5%
local labour within 20 miles
delivered
on time and budget
In collaboration with:
Project gallery
Safer green social spaces at Middlegate Gardens has completely transformed the area for more than 1,000 residents
An existing hardstanding games court was replaced with a private garden for the immediate houses
New communal entrances, fencing, seating and enhanced lighting helped improve security concerns
Three new play areas have been added, including a SEN wheelchair accessible multi-play area
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