Master plan for roads around Ash Green school
Calderdale Council’s Community Streets has now reached the build phase. It’s fantastic to see lines on the road and holes in the ground, that will become wider pavements and retrofit rain garden planters, as the streets around Ash Green school’s lower site transform into a more pleasant environment in which to walk, cycle or scoot to school.
Marking out on site
Trench that will become linear roadside rain gardens
Trench that will become linear roadside rain gardens
Formwork for rain gardens and Marshalls' Eden Kerb new product trial
Filter layer laid and ready to install check dams and diffuser flags
Rain gardens taking shape with check dams and Marshalls' Eden Kerb / diffuser flags new product trials
This Halifax street is going to be transformed, things are looking great! Following the installation of the first couple of rain garden 'shells', the team has identified a few tweaks needed that will be carried forward for the next parts of the build. This is par for the course when working innovatively to trial new products and best practice ways of doing things.
We are exicted to be trialling new rain garden kerb products from local supplier Marshalls, incorporating Calderdale residents' green and glass recycling in the substrate mix, and using plants from local Calderdale nurseries (Dove Cottage and Beardsworths). The project is working with and educating the local community, including through Ash Green school, and local organisations Slow The Flow and The Addy.
The contractor and client are responsive and proactive, and are working well together to ensure that Calderdale's first retrofit rain gardens will be a template to refer to and learn from.
Watch this space for updates as the build progresses!
Concept visual showing rain gardens