Warringtonfire’s Birchwood Park site awarded perfect score by Considerate Constructors Scheme

Issued by the Considerate Constructors Scheme, the Bronze Award recognises the efforts of organisations and suppliers who commit to raising both environmental and community social value standards. The Birchwood Park site, which is nearing completion, achieved a perfect score of 45 out of 45.

The facility was judged on three different pillars: ‘Respect for the Community’, ‘Care for the Environment’ and ‘Value for the Workforce’. The site received top marks in all categories, duly earning an ‘excellent’ rating for each, in addition to individual praise for its environmental and social policies.

Warringtonfire and Tilbury Douglas have implemented a series of measures to demonstrate the social value of the site, including an open doors week and hosting a Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity site presentation on mental health, promoting health and well-being conversations.

The teams have also made further charitable donations to Warrington Youth Zone and the Trussell Trust Food Bank, as well as purchasing sanitary products for the workplace via the Hey Girls social enterprise.

Environmental pledges

The report highly commends Warringtonfire and Tilbury Douglas for the project’s environmental pledges, which include a Net Zero 2050 carbon reduction plan, avoiding diesel-powered plant and equipment during the construction phase, promoting the use of HVO fuel and planting over 50 trees.

Tilbury Douglas’ ISO 14001 accreditation for environmental management systems further reinforces the project’s commitment to environmental protection and sustainability.

Local students from Warrington Vale and Royal College were also welcomed to the site throughout National Apprenticeship Week, with several offered future work experience placements.

Next generation

Iwan Lewis, project Manager of the site for Tilbury Douglas, said: “Investing in the next generation of construction professionals is a key priority for my team and, together with Warringtonfire, we have actively engaged in educational outreach activities with the Warrington and Vale Royal College to address the skills shortage in the construction and fire stopping industries.”

Martin Horne, regional director at Tilbury Douglas, added: “We are proud of the value created through our partnership, the successful outcomes achieved and the alignment of goals and values between our organisations.”

Phil Shaw, managing director at Tilbury Douglas, affirmed: “It’s a great result and evidences the team’s inherent culture on site, which is driving our sustainability strategy entitled ‘People, Planet and Performance’. This sets out to deliver improved social and environmental outcomes for our business, our customers and the supply chain.”

Fire testing services

The Birchwood Park site is set to become the new hub for Warringtonfire’s fire testing services. Due to open its doors in January next year, it will triple the company’s testing capacity. The laboratory will have two vertical furnaces, two horizontal furnaces and one indicative furnace ready for test specimens, with two more furnaces to be added by the end of 2026.

Dafydd Llewelyn-Jones, project manager for Element Materials Technology, explained: “This award recognises all of the hard work put into the project by our own team members and Tilbury Douglas. We’re particularly proud of our social value scores, notably so around our outreach with the local community. Warrington has always been our home so it’s important that we continue to make valuable contributions to both the next generation and the environment.”

*Further detail concerning the Birchwood Park site is available online at https://www.warringtonfire.com/about-warringtonfire/warrington-site-relocation-and-expansion