Awarded SAPCA Large Project of the Year 2023
Working as Principal Contractor, O’Brien completed the development of the Old Saltleians New Rugby Grounds and Clubhouse Development in Water Orton. The relocation of the club was as a result of the HS2 development in the area and covers some 17 acres.
The project was secured through a competitive tendering process, followed by working very closely with the club, Robinson Lowe Francis (RLF), AJA Architects, Nolan Associates and PSD to bring the project to fruition and enable the works to commence on site.
Beginning with a Breaking Ground Ceremony in November 2021 O’Brien commenced works to develop the 17 acres of fallow arable farmland into a state of the art facility.
The project was completed on time and on budget.
Turnkey Solution
Using our in-house civil engineering & building construction expertise, along with our extensive sports development experience, we delivered a turnkey design & build solution for the client, to develop the 17 acres of former farmland into a sports facility with 6 natural turf pitches, a clubhouse and associated infrastructure, an ecological area as well as ample parking for cars and coaches.
State of the Art Facilities & Sustainable Construction
The Old Saltleians new development provides the club and the rugby community with a state of the art facility that will stand the test of time.
The levels of the site have been engineered to provide a facility that flows seamlessly across the site making efficient use of the whole site to provide areas for warm up, exercise and events. The pitches are top specification trench and pipe drainage pitches, constructed to Sports England Standards. The four high standard grass pitches are fully drained and incorporate an irrigation system to ensure that the pitches will be useable in all but the harshest weather conditions while the provision of energy efficient led pitch lighting will allow activities to continue during winter periods making full use of the pitches.
The new club grounds boast a new clubhouse, (with social spaces for the club and local community to make best use of), extensive car and coach parking to serve the entire site, three senior pitches with state-of-the-art floodlighting to one, three junior and two dedicated mini-rugby pitches and associated infrastructure. This is a fantastic development for the club, the rugby, and local communities for generations to come.
The clubhouse incorporates team & officials changing rooms along with a gym, bar, office space and storage which is compliant with not only the latest RFU guidance and building regulations but also incorporates photovoltaic panels to generate electricity, energy efficient technology including led lighting, heat exchange ventilation system along with a building management system to provide control over lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, fire and security systems to ensure the building is comfortable, functional, efficient and safe.
Ecology
During the project we completely respected the ecological importance of areas of the site, including an existing pond and an on-site newt relocation area which are both an important part of the biodiversity of the site along with ancient trees and hedgerows surrounding and within the site boundary. A continuous Newt barrier was installed to the perimeter of the site, which stayed in place until the end of project.
Under the guidance of ecologists, we carried out works to the existing pond as well as forming a brand-new pond to increase biodiversity on the site and provide new habitat for wildlife. Tree protection works were undertaken across the site to protect ancient trees on the site, with one ancient oak tree having a bespoke drainage system designed and installed, to give it the best chance of survival. We also utilised the services of arboriculturist for maintenance work to the established trees around the site to ensure they remain healthy.
We thickened and improved the hedgerows around the site and planted over 100 new native trees around the site as part of our landscaping works.
Challenges!
Drought
Heatwaves in June 2022 led to the UK experiencing its fourth warmest summer on record with temperatures reaching the 40C. This provided a massive challenge to ensure the pitches which were seeded in July would be ready to use in December. Twenty four hour watering to pitches was needed to encourage growth, which was challenging with extreme heat and drought conditions.
O’Brien used the newly created attenuation pond along with an existing pond which was to be removed (cleared by ecologists prior to HS2 back filling) to irrigate the newly seeded pitches. The whole site including the pitch drainage outfalls to the attenuation pond. Using these ponds as an irrigation source ensured all rainwater was used efficiently with minimal requirements from off-site mains. Additional fertilisers were also added to help accelerate the growth of the pitches.
Earthworks Challenge
Once works had started, an unexpected challenge arose when the team found a difference in ground material that was not detected in the early stages of development – the layer of topsoil at the new site was significantly deeper than it had appeared on initial site surveys. O’Brien Contractors Ltd was able to overcome this challenge by use of the machine technology, adding the new data into Sitelink3D v2 on Topcon MC-X and plan budgets, timings and resources, automatically synching the new data to the relevant machines working on site with no delay to the plant operations, avoiding an expensive break in the project.
HS2 Works
There are significant works currently taking place in the nearby vicinity in preparation of the HS2 Project, part of which is directly adjacent to the Old Salts RFC site, and which continued to expand during the works.
S278 Works
The location of the new rugby club was at the end of a quiet residential street fronting it and a narrow lane opposite the entrance. Part of our works was planning, and working with local authorities to agree the S278 works for Colehill Road/ Gyspy Lane. With these roads being the route / access to the site it was imperative to ensure that access to and from the site was safe for both pedestrians and vehicles visiting the rugby club grounds and to local residents in the area.
Tree Challenge!
An ancient protected Oak Tree was present on site and although close to the building a solution was required to protect the tree during the extensive earthworks and construction phases while incorporating the tree into the finished scheme. Tree protection was installed at the start of the project and remained in place for the duration. Levels around the tree were to be built up by 1m-1.5m which presented a challenge. A full inspection by an arborologist led to an innovative design by O’Brien including a root protection barrier to protect the root from damage, land drainage to prevent drowning of the tree with a gravel surface and fencing to ensure the tree sat well within the finished scheme. The 500 years old giant has been trimmed and nurtured to enhance both its appearance and its health. O’Brien engaged two Arborists in consultation to ensure that this wonderful tree had the best chance to grow for another hundred years or more!
Social Value
Keeping it Local and Recycling
To date we have brought to site over five thousand tonnes of recycled material avoiding the use of primary aggregates and recycled material has been sourced locally to reduce transport distance and impact on road users and the environment. Materials were used to create the access road onto site, as the first operation to provide access for construction works and avoid carrying debris onto the surrounding roads.
We are providing local staff resources for this project, achieving reduced travel times to site, meaning a decrease in travel time for staff, contributing towards reducing our emissions.
Donations to Local Organisations
As part of our commitment to social value and giving back to the communities in which we work, we made donations to a local charitable community organisation and a donation towards delivery of sports activities in the area.
Delivery of Rugby Coaching in the Local Area
O’Brien have donated £1,000 to sponsor the delivery of rugby to the local primary schools in the area of the project. A programme of rugby coaching has been developed with North Warks schools, to deliver sessions in the schools, to engage children into healthy activities by professional community coaches and introduce them, and their parents, to a welcoming environment at the new club and grounds for continuity in sport.
Water Orton Library and Community Centre
We have donated £1,000 to the local ‘Water Orton Community Library, which is a charitable organisation run by volunteers. Due to the challenges of high energy costs, the library will use this money towards energy efficient lighting to reduce running costs.
Ecology Donation
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 rugby club 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.
Community Relations
Fundamental to the success of the project is our ability to minimise impact and disruption to the local environment given the site’s location within a busy residential area with housing adjacent to the site.
Keeping residents informed was vital to the project. Before we commenced work on site, we made a pre-start presentation to the local parish council and the local community. During the project we carried out regular letter drops and other forms of communication, to ensure that the community were kept up to date on the progress and stages of the works and to ensure they had contact information regarding any concerns and ensuring the integration of the club back into the area after a 4 year absence.
Old Saltleians Triumphant Return to Water Orton!
The Old Saltleians RFC team had a triumphant return to their Water Orton roots in December 2022, winning their first game at their new grounds on 10 December 2022.
From Start to Finish Photo Gallery!
