Works are being carried out at South Cliff Gardens which is included on The Historic England ‘Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.’ The aim of the scheme is to rejuvenate the existing South Cliff Gardens and restore them to their former glory.
The scheme has received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £4,665,700 with an additional £105,000 also being raised by local community groups.
Overview of the Works
The aim of this scheme is to rejuvenate the existing South Cliff Gardens and restore them to their former glory. The scheme has received substantial funds from the National Lottery Community and Heritage Funds with money also being raised by local community groups.
The full project comprises of the construction of a new maintenance and community hub, along with general refurbishment and landscaping upgrades to the existing South Cliff Park. The project also includes refurbishment work to the existing tunnel, currently closed off to the public under the funicular railway. The works will be split into 4 Phases.
Construction Works to Date (May 28th – June 25th)
One of the first parts of the project was the demolition of the existing depot and maintenance building in the gardens to make room for the construction of the new Beeforth’s Hive Community Building. The existing maintenance building is not big enough to house the expanding team of gardeners and apprentices so therefore it needs extending. Following consultation with the community a need was also identified for a space that the community could use for meetings, activities and learning opportunities. The new building will provide facilities for both the gardeners and community to use. The old building has now long gone and progress has been made on the new one over the past month. All of the following has taken place with the work area visually checked over for any environmental activity prior to start:
- Fixing and formwork was set out ahead of the pouring of the new concrete base slab. 29 cubic metres of concrete was needed to create the slab.
- Full reduce level dig around the building to allow digging out for the new car park. All boulders dug out were washed and saved for re-use.
- Full reduce level dig to correct level ready for terram and stone set out for footways and kerbing.
- Remaining trees and hedges checked by an ecologist prior to being removed.
- Steel work installation started for the new building. Drainage works also ongoing.
- Creation of a temporary storage area on the Esplanade.
Also this month, work has continued on the refurbishment of shelter 8 involving:
- The erection of heras fencing around the shelter to ensure safe clearance for pedestrians walking through the gardens.
- The design of a temporary works propping system and both interior and exterior scaffolding around the shelter to create safe works access.
SHELTER 8 PROGRESS
- All roof tiles and lats fully removed. This exposed the original wooden roller shutters which certainly created some interest!
- Foundations dug out and concreted in preparation for on-site measure for steel work.
- Roof end removed of all timber.
- All debris cleared away into skips.
Alongside of these works, progress has also been made on the steps in Area 22. This has involved:
- Installation of a hand rail on the footway leading down to the steps and appropriate diversion put in place.
- Begin excavation of the footway and steps.
- Setting out footway width (which goes into the cliff face) and retaining wall (which digs into the cliff face).
Reduced dig to all of footway to formation level. Also, start of installation of Type 1 stone to footway
The Great British Spring Clean
The Great British Spring Clean was held recently and we were only too happy to play our part! The initiative sees litter picks taking place all over the country and three PBS staff members joined volunteers from Scarborough Borough Council and the ‘Keep Scarborough Tidy’ group to collect litter around the South Cliff Gardens.
It was warm work in the summer sun but a productive afternoon and one that was very much enjoyed by all who participated. Danny Long, Health & Safety Manager at PBS Construction, said afterwards:
“I’ve been involved in initiatives like this on previous projects and believe it’s really important for us as a company to show our support. The gardens are a lovely space which deserve to be kept as clean as possible and it’s nice to think we’ve played a small part in that.
“It was also great to meet some new faces and it sounds like the ‘Keep Scarborough Tidy’ group are doing some amazing work within the local community. I know there’ll be more litter picks held throughout the duration of the project and I’ll definitely be putting myself forward to get involved again.”
Danny and Jonny, who also volunteered, are pictured here at the end of the litter pick.
Work experience student joins site team
As a business, we’re always keen to give the next generation an opportunity and are delighted that we have a work experience student joining our team on site at South Cliff Gardens. James, who is studying at the Scarborough Skills Village, is working towards a qualification in groundworks.
James will be part of our site team for three days a week across a two week period and will have the opportunity to gain hands on experience and further develop his skill set.
Jenna Redmond, Employer Engagement Officer at the Scarborough Skills Village, believes it’s a good opportunity for James and said:
“James joined the Skills Village to pursue a career in construction. We initially enrolled him in our 10 week Build Up programme aimed at upskilling learners and building his confidence before finding a suitable work placement. We are very excited to be part of the South Cliff Gardens refurbishments and look forward to working with PBS Construction going forward.”
From a PBS perspective, it’s great to be working with the Scarborough Skills Village and we’re looking forward to continuing our productive relationship with them during the course of the project at South Cliff Gardens.
Site visit for Shelters Group
We were delighted to welcome Adrian and Chris Perry from the Shelters Group to site recently.
The restoration of the shelters within the gardens is a big part of the project and we were keen to invite Adrian and Chris down to see the work in progress. One of our site joiners, Neil Holland, was on hand to meet Adrian and Chris and show them the ongoing restoration work on shelter 8, whilst also outlining how the works will look on several of the other shelters. Vicky Thompson, South Cliff NLHF Project Officer, also joined the visit to share information on the project.
Adrian, President of the Scarborough & District Civic Society, commented:
“When the Civic Society Shelters group was set up by Chris in November 2005 we were very aware that the shelters in South Cliff Gardens were in desperate need of protection. Since that time we have lobbied for the care and attention that these historic structures deserve and need if they are to be there for future generations to enjoy. The work which is now being done is very thorough and should ensure their future.”
Public drop-in session
The first of our monthly contractor drop-in sessions was held on June 24th at the Crown Spa Hotel on the Esplanade. Pete Smurthwaite (Chairman) and Brendon Smurthwaite (Community Manager) were in attendance and met local residents who were keen to find out more about the restoration of the gardens.
It was great to meet people who are so enthusiastic about the gardens and hopefully an enjoyable afternoon was had by all who came along (we certainly enjoyed it!)
Considerate Constructors Scheme
This project has been registered under the Considerate Constructors Scheme, which means that we will agree to abide by the Code of Considerate best practice beyond statutory requirements. Alongside this we have registered with The Considerate Constructors Scheme who are working with the Lighthouse Club, the Construction Industry Charity to promote the Construction Industry Helpline. The Construction Industry Helpline operates 24/7 and provides practical support on occupational health and mental wellbeing, access to support on legal, tax and debt management matters and also grants emergency financial aid to construction families in crisis.
Meet the PBS Site Team and Support Team
| ANDREW THORLEY | PROJECT MANAGER 07834 651678 |
| ALAN CLARKE | CIVILS SITE MANAGER 07813 536660 |
| NAME | ROLE |
| PETER SMURTHWAITE | CHAIRMAN |
| GLENN SMURTHWAITE | MANAGING DIRECTOR |
| MARK BROOKS | COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR |
| CONNOR COOPER | QUANTITY SURVEYOR |
| BRENDON SMURTHWAITE | COMMUNITY LIAISON MANAGER 01482 211132 |
| DANNY LONG | HEALTH & SAFETY MANAGER |
| AIMEE FRITH | QUALITY & SOCIAL VALUE LEAD |
Drop-in Sessions
We will be holding monthly drop-in sessions throughout the project on the last Thursday of each month. Our next one will be held on July 29th (1:00 to 3:00pm) at the Crown Spa Hotel which is situated on The Esplanade in Scarborough (postcode: YO11 2AG). If anyone has any queries regarding the project they’ll be more than welcome to come along.
Community Liaison Manager Contact Details
Brendon Smurthwaite
Community Liaison Manager
PBS Construction (North East) Ltd
1 Trinity Street, Hull, HU3 1JR
Office: 01482 211132
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