A Gift to Boost Ecology on our Rowley Regis, New Canalside Cemetery Site

Our Commitment to Protect and Enhance Biodiversity of the Site

We were committed to ensuring that the original biodiversity of this important site would be protected during our works and enhanced on completion. Additional landscaping, ponds, and other necessary works ensured that lost biodiversity units from the works were replaced during the extension of the cemetery.

As part of our commitment to the environment and our commitment to social value in the areas that we work, we gifted bird boxes, bat boxes and insect houses to our client for use in the new cemetery grounds.  The items were purchased from the National Trust, where timber products are made from FSC certified materials, and where money from every purchase goes back into looking after other important sites.

The new cemetery is located in an area that forms part of a ‘Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation (SLINC)’.  A site which was part of an important and well used and popular public open space, much loved and important to the local community.  Prior to and during our works we completely understood the importance of this stunning area for habitats in the form of plants, trees and wildlife and our part in the protection of it.

O’Brien have carried out numerous projects where the importance of protecting and improving the biodiversity of the project site has been a critical element of the works.  This gave our client Sandwell Council the confidence to award the contract for this very important and sensitive site in Rowley Regis, for the ‘New Canalside Cemetery’.

During the works O’Brien complied with all relevant legislation including:

  • Wildlife and Countryside Act 1991
  • Protection of Badgers Act 1992
  • Conservation (Natural Habitats etc.) Regulations 1994
  • Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996

To see details of our project at Rowley Regis, click this link! https://obriencontractors.co.uk/projects/rowley-regis-new-canalside-cemetery/

O’Brien Sponsor Rugby Team at Vets Fest Huge Rugby Event for Wooden Spoon Charity

Vets Fest Rugby Event

O’Brien are Sponsoring a Rugby Team at the Vets Fest Rugby Event for Wooden Spoon, the children’s charity of rugby, which is a grant-making charity, funding life changing projects across the UK & Ireland.

On Saturday the 08 October, over 700 players from across the UK will get together at Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club for the annual rugby Vet Fest.  This massive rugby event will help the charity raise much needed money, to continue their great work to raise funds to support disabled, disadvantaged and vulnerable children & young people.

To support this great charity and event, O’Brien Contractors have chosen to sponsor the Leicester and Staffordshire rugby team, just one of 35 teams of Vets Rugby men and women representing Wooden Spoon’s regions across the UK.

Vets Fest Rugby Event

In 2021, 450 players from 15 teams, across 13 regions played in 37 matches at an event organised in memory of 13-year-old rugby fan Olly Stephens, who was tragically killed near his home in Reading in January 2021, with over £64,000 raised for vulnerable children and young people across the UK.

The largest part of the charity’s income is raised by local volunteers, with the aim that every penny volunteers raise is spent in their local communities.  In the last year, despite the difficult conditions, they supported 43 charitable projects helping over 100,000 vulnerable children and young people.

They need additional funds more than ever as there are more children that need their help.  In the last year Wooden Spoon was only able to fund one in four of the grant applications received due to the increased demand for support.

This year the focus is on supporting mental health projects. Here’s why:
  • It is estimated that 1.5 million children and young people will need mental health support as a result of the pandemic (Centre of Mental Health, 2020).
  • 374,000 children under 18 are currently on a waiting list for NHS mental health services.

For more information on the Wooden Spoon Charity, click on the link: About Us: Wooden Spoon, the children’s charity of rugby | Wooden Spoon.

To grab some of the remaining tickets, click on the link: Wooden Spoon Vets Fest 2022 | Wooden Spoon.

Date: Saturday 8th October 2022
Time: 10am till late
Venue: Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club

Contract Win at Fairham, Nottingham for O’Brien Contractors

We are delighted to announce work is due to start to improve an existing access road and create a new route into the £800 million Fairham neighbourhood in Nottinghamshire.

The 606-acre site is in the process of becoming a whole new neighbourhood for Nottingham with 3,000 new homes, one million sq ft of employment space and 200 acres of open green space. The works are all part of £100 million of infrastructure improvements scheduled for Fairham.

Day and night-time works will start to increase from Monday 5th September 2022 with a completion in April 2023 in order to create a new access road and controlled junction for Fairham, along with improved access to the existing Park & Ride site.

Access to and from the Clifton South Park & Ride will be maintained at all times to keep traffic flowing while works to create new earthworks, carriageway and signalisation takes place. Construction traffic will be rerouted away from civilian traffic during the works.

We will be carrying out the work on behalf of Clowes Developments, the company behind the Fairham masterplan. Fairham is being brought forward in partnership with Homes England, the government’s housing accelerator.

https://fairhamlife.co.uk/access-works-for-800-million-fairham-neighbourhood-underway-this-autumn/