Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd Kicks Off the Cathedral Quarter Regeneration
The £33million redevelopment of Blackburn town centre is on schedule and Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd are leading the way. The new Cathedral Quarter development will ultimately feature a hotel, car park, office building, Clergy Court and cloister garden. Additionally the Cathedral Quarter site will include restaurants, shops and a public square.
Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd have been contracted to drive steel sheet piles into the ground on the site near to Blackburn Cathedral, to allow for the construction of a new underground car park. Due to the proximity of the site operations to the historic 188 year old cathedral, Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd have used specialist silent, vibration free piling technology.
Canon Andrew Hindley said: “This is a very special machine that drives in the piles without any noise or vibration. It is a more complex machine but we needed it. Obviously vibrations near the cathedral building could potentially damage it.”
The piles are being driven into the ground to prepare for the construction of a new underground car park and then the building of the new Cathedral Clergy Court buildings. Once the specialist steel sheet piling operations are complete, approximately 700 truckloads of earth will be excavated to make way for the new car park facility.
Blackburn with Darwen council regeneration boss Maureen Bateson added: “Work on the Cathedral Quarter is progressing well, with this major investment within the heart of Blackburn town centre it will provide a huge boost for both the town, and the borough.”
Commenting on the project, Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd Chairman John Hull said: “We’re pleased to be leading the way in the regeneration of this historic area of Blackburn town centre. By using the latest in silent, vibration free sheet piling technology, we’re helping to protect the landmark cathedral at the same time.”
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Sheet Piling (UK) Limited is one of the UK's leading piling contractors. Owning and operating a comprehensive range of specialist piling equipment Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd also carry extensive stocks of new and used piles enabling rapid reaction to any urgent requirements or emergency situations.