25 Tons of Material Recycled from Scarborough Construction Skills Village Project

Work to transform an abandoned farm into the new Construction Skills Village in Scarborough has achieved a major recycling target.

The nearly two acre abandoned farm site at High Eastfield Farm has been re-developed to create a new Construction Skills Village which will include a Green Business Centre, offices, new construction learning areas, plant hire training course, offices, café and enterprise centres, and a number of eco homes.

The team behind the construction project say that more than 92% of the old concrete and timber and piles of stone and brick on the site have been recycled, amounting to more than 25 tons or 25,534kg. In addition, 6.9% of 1,931kg discarded fuel at the site has been converted to ‘Refuse Derived Fuel’ pellets which are used as an alternative to fossil fuels in energy production.

Graham Ratcliffe, MD of Northern Regeneration which runs the skills village off the A64 near Eastfield, said:

"As we work towards helping the green construction agenda and giving our learners and apprentices tuition in green construction techniques, we are very pleased at these recycling outcomes.

They are amazing and it shows what can be done. It is also a good basis for progress towards the eco showhomes that we will be building on-site."

The team say the only waste for landfill from the huge operation has amounted to 0.56%.

Scarborough and Whitby MP Robert Goodwill undertook a visit of the new site recently. He said:

“I was absolutely amazed at the progress that has been made. These must be the best facilities in the country.  

There are dozens of job opportunities that will flow from this and I want to see local lads and lasses taking advantage of this.

One important element will be the new skills needed to construct and adapt homes to meet higher environmental standards.  The Town Deal money allocated to Scarborough has meant that this green aspect can be funded and delivered.”

Filey MP Kevin Hollinrake said after his visit last month:

"Very inspiring. It was wonderful to meet the young, bright, enthusiastic apprentices and their excellent trainers. The model of working directly with small and medium size builders to understand their workforce needs and then develop apprenticeships is exactly what this country needs right now."

Skills village MD Mr Ratcliffe added:

"We are expanding in other ways too. A new company has been created called Sohoco, which aims to develop the affordable and sustainable eco homes at sites in Scarborough and Whitby, to create options for self-build and custom-build housing.

“We also aim to establish a retro-fitting division which will work with landlords to de-carbonise existing property stock. The eco homes will include integral solar heating and to Future Homes Standards 2025. They will be what is called ‘Passivhaus’ – ‘passive homes’ with cheaper running costs and with work-at-home spaces."

Three new tutors have joined the team to further enhance the creation of employment-ready apprentices in .... They are:

• Lewis Weller, bricklaying training/assessor from Scarborough, who said: "I am excited to be passing on my knowledge to the next generation of bricklayers."
• Simon Daniels, who works with first-year learners on wiring, health and safety rules as well as building regulations and other aspects. He has worked as an maintenance electrician for various companies and on University of York student accommodation.
• Robert (Bob) Ralph is teaching plumbing and renewable energy such as solar thermal roofs, unvented systems for hot water and air source. He has worked at colleges in Tottenham, Peterborough, Ashford, Malton and Scarborough TEC.