The campaign for an urban cycle lane through central London finally achieved its target in January when Boris Johnson approved plans for what will become Europe’s longest segregated urban cycle lane. Nicknamed the “Crossrail for bikes”, it will become a protected route through Parliament Square, along the Victoria Embankment and Upper Thames Street.
Support for the cycle lane was overwhelming, with 84 per cent of the 21,500 responses to the plans backing the suggested route which will link Barking and Acton, as well as a linked north-south route between King’s Cross and Elephant and Castle.
The project is due to get underway in April, once plans are ratified by Transport for London (TfL) in early February. The central part of the route, which will cost an estimated £41million to build, will create a link between Tower Hill and the A40 Westway flyover at Paddington, and should be completed by April 2016.
TfL board members are also all set to approve upgrades to the existing CS2 cycle superhighway between Whitechapel and Bow. Work begins in February 2015 on a brand new north-south superhighway, which will join Elephant and Castle and King’s Cross.
Objections to the work mainly centred on the delays that introducing new cycle lanes would cause to existing commuter traffic, but planners came up with a way around the problem. They anticipate being able to reduce any delays by around 60 per cent by narrowing the ‘both ways’ cycle lane from 4m to 3m for short sections, at Temple, Tower Hill and in the Blackfriars underpass.
Mr Johnson was keen to reallocate space on central London roads in response to their changing use - the amount of vehicle traffic has fallen by 25 per cent in the last decade while the number of cyclists has doubled. Cyclists now account for a quarter of all traffic in central London in the morning rush hour.
The latest Crossrail for bikes plan is part of the Mayor’s £913 million ‘cycle revolution for London’. He had said that he wanted to reallocate space on the roads around central London, as amount of vehicle traffic has fallen by 25 per cent in the last ten years, in contrast to the number of cyclists which has doubled.
Cyclists now account for a quarter of all traffic in central London in the morning rush hour. He said: “I look forward to the transformation that these routes will bring – not just for people who cycle now, but for the thousands of new cyclists they will attract.
“Getting more people on their bikes will reduce pressure on the road, bus and rail networks, cut pollution, and improve life for everyone, whether or not they cycle themselves.”
Monday, 16 February 2015
Tuesday, 10 February 2015
Slips and Slides – how to keep walkways safe in winter
It’s a real dilemma – sometimes the winter weather looks so breathtakingly beautiful that you just have to go outside; but the pathways and pavements can be icy and treacherous.
There is a whole range of products that have been designed to keep outside surfaces safe in the winter, but some of them can be dangerous, especially if you have pets to think about. Don’t be tempted to tackle icy patches on the garden path with antifreeze or de-icer spray if you or your neighbours have animals, because they are highly toxic to cats and dogs, and sweet tasting too, which is a double whammy. Some specialist products that are designed to give you traction on icy pavements may also contain solvents to prevent freezing, so be aware of this.
The solution to your problem may be an easy yet probably quite inexpensive one, You can buy simple products like builder’s gravel, sand, and crushed shells for pathways, which are harmless for wildlife and pets, and also if you have a cat you could try using some of your grit-based cat litter to provide grip on surfaces that you don’t want to become slippery. All of these are suitable for use both before the snow falls, or afterwards.
Before the weather turns really bad, get a head start by keeping any areas prone to icing over as dry as you can, to keep the moisture from building up and freezing. If you can, cover any susceptible areas over.
To help you stay upright on others’ driveways on public pathways, you could also invest in studs or chains which you can slip over your shoes or boots. These give you the grip you need without needing to spread any extra products over your driveway.
If it’s already snowed, and you want to avoid slipping over in it on your way out, make a pathway in the fallen snow with an old piece of tarpaulin, a few planks of wood or some plastic sheeting to provide a safe walkway when the rest of the ground is frozen. Keep this as dry as possible to avoid icing over.
You can defrost ice and melt snow by tipping a kettle of hot water over a path, a car windscreen or into frozen locks. However, this has its risks; hot water doesn’t stay hot for long in sub-zero temperatures so be careful you don’t end up with an ice rink and even more of a problem!
Think about safety first
There is a whole range of products that have been designed to keep outside surfaces safe in the winter, but some of them can be dangerous, especially if you have pets to think about. Don’t be tempted to tackle icy patches on the garden path with antifreeze or de-icer spray if you or your neighbours have animals, because they are highly toxic to cats and dogs, and sweet tasting too, which is a double whammy. Some specialist products that are designed to give you traction on icy pavements may also contain solvents to prevent freezing, so be aware of this.
Easy problem solvers
The solution to your problem may be an easy yet probably quite inexpensive one, You can buy simple products like builder’s gravel, sand, and crushed shells for pathways, which are harmless for wildlife and pets, and also if you have a cat you could try using some of your grit-based cat litter to provide grip on surfaces that you don’t want to become slippery. All of these are suitable for use both before the snow falls, or afterwards.
Before the weather turns really bad, get a head start by keeping any areas prone to icing over as dry as you can, to keep the moisture from building up and freezing. If you can, cover any susceptible areas over.
To help you stay upright on others’ driveways on public pathways, you could also invest in studs or chains which you can slip over your shoes or boots. These give you the grip you need without needing to spread any extra products over your driveway.
Once the snow falls...
If it’s already snowed, and you want to avoid slipping over in it on your way out, make a pathway in the fallen snow with an old piece of tarpaulin, a few planks of wood or some plastic sheeting to provide a safe walkway when the rest of the ground is frozen. Keep this as dry as possible to avoid icing over.
You can defrost ice and melt snow by tipping a kettle of hot water over a path, a car windscreen or into frozen locks. However, this has its risks; hot water doesn’t stay hot for long in sub-zero temperatures so be careful you don’t end up with an ice rink and even more of a problem!
Tuesday, 27 January 2015
The Legacy of the Olympic Park on Urban Landscaping
The London 2012 Olympic Park, which has been officially renamed the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, is one of Europe’s most significant landscaping projects for over 150 years. The landscaping for the park created much-needed new parkland in addition to forming the centrepiece of the 2012 Olympic Games.
The legacy of the project has shown how a bigger vision for green infrastructure in a city like London can help to inspire regeneration and support other environmental markers such as meeting low carbon targets elsewhere too.
The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was the biggest urban park to be created in London since Victorian times, and it was a massive inspiration for those involved in work on regenerating other parts of east London. Since 2012, there are more new communities being planned and built, all of which offer housing, leisure and retail space for the area.
The park took more than four years to create, and the work included the demolition and then decontamination of over 2m tonnes of soil. From there, landscaped areas were created – a concourse, spectator lawns and individually landscaped areas like the London 2012 Gardens and Great British Garden. The Great British Garden was a feat in itself; it’s the largest wildflower meadow ever planted in the UK with more than 4,000 semi-mature trees.
The park certainly contributed to a change in public perception of what landscape architecture is. Not only did the park provide a place the UK could be proud of to showcase the Olympics but it also gave something back to the local community, a legacy that stretched further than the park itself which has gone on to influence a whole range of other landscape projects.
The long-term legacy of the Queen Elizabeth Park is a beautiful urban park which is rich in biodiversity and helps the community to reconnect with nature. This can only be a good thing; enhancing relaxation and mental wellbeing as well as giving people a place to go to improve their physical fitness and health.
The Olympic Park has a ‘Towards a 10-Year Landscape Management and Maintenance Plan’, which means that for every £1 the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) spent on venues, transport and infrastructure for the Olympic Games, 75p was spent on legacy.
The legacy of the project has shown how a bigger vision for green infrastructure in a city like London can help to inspire regeneration and support other environmental markers such as meeting low carbon targets elsewhere too.
The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was the biggest urban park to be created in London since Victorian times, and it was a massive inspiration for those involved in work on regenerating other parts of east London. Since 2012, there are more new communities being planned and built, all of which offer housing, leisure and retail space for the area.
The park took more than four years to create, and the work included the demolition and then decontamination of over 2m tonnes of soil. From there, landscaped areas were created – a concourse, spectator lawns and individually landscaped areas like the London 2012 Gardens and Great British Garden. The Great British Garden was a feat in itself; it’s the largest wildflower meadow ever planted in the UK with more than 4,000 semi-mature trees.
The park certainly contributed to a change in public perception of what landscape architecture is. Not only did the park provide a place the UK could be proud of to showcase the Olympics but it also gave something back to the local community, a legacy that stretched further than the park itself which has gone on to influence a whole range of other landscape projects.
The long-term legacy of the Queen Elizabeth Park is a beautiful urban park which is rich in biodiversity and helps the community to reconnect with nature. This can only be a good thing; enhancing relaxation and mental wellbeing as well as giving people a place to go to improve their physical fitness and health.
The Olympic Park has a ‘Towards a 10-Year Landscape Management and Maintenance Plan’, which means that for every £1 the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) spent on venues, transport and infrastructure for the Olympic Games, 75p was spent on legacy.
Monday, 19 January 2015
Europe’s longest conveyor
A 6.2 km conveyor has been built in France for a French cement manufacturer. The conveyor belt, which is the longest in Europe, was installed in eastern France to help feed a cement plant, and was installed by Techmi, French experts in bulk handling, and their partners ContiTech.
The cement plant is owned by Vicat, in the small town of Montalieu. The owners were presented with a quandary – how could they transport limestone to the plant from the quarry when it was around 6.2km away from the plant? There needed to be a cost-effective solution, and Vicat embarked upon a project to develop a conveyor belt for the task.
Techmi won the project based on their successful quotation, and ContiTech were taken on as their strategic partners. ContiTech have many years of experience with conveyor belts which can negotiate bends and the company also produces high-quality eco-friendly products.
Requirements were tough, but the result has proved to be pretty impressive. The endless belt is in the region of 13km long and even does a twist and turn on the head and tail of the system to run parallel to the loaded belt on the return.
Based on a Techmi patent, concrete walls and a cover encase the entire conveyor, so that the system blends in with its surroundings. This also means that it’s possible for animals and vehicles to cross over safely.
ContiTech produced and delivered the belt within just five weeks. Thirteen 1km rolls, weighing 20 tonnes each, had to be shipped from Volos to Fos-sur-Mer (on the French Mediterranean coast) and then before being transported more than 360km to Montalieu, using heavy trucks.
Once the components reached Montalieu, the belt was assembled on-site.
“We did the job in two stages and spent a total of two months on location splicing the 13 sections of belt together in the middle of winter”, said Jan Poppe, head of field service international.
The 260-tonne conveyor belt is powered by three 250kW electric motors, and has been in use since mid-October. The belt transports limestone at a rate of up to 700 tonnes per hour in normal use – but at maximum capacity it can move as much as 1,000 tonnes per hour!
The cement plant is owned by Vicat, in the small town of Montalieu. The owners were presented with a quandary – how could they transport limestone to the plant from the quarry when it was around 6.2km away from the plant? There needed to be a cost-effective solution, and Vicat embarked upon a project to develop a conveyor belt for the task.
Techmi won the project based on their successful quotation, and ContiTech were taken on as their strategic partners. ContiTech have many years of experience with conveyor belts which can negotiate bends and the company also produces high-quality eco-friendly products.
Requirements were tough, but the result has proved to be pretty impressive. The endless belt is in the region of 13km long and even does a twist and turn on the head and tail of the system to run parallel to the loaded belt on the return.
Based on a Techmi patent, concrete walls and a cover encase the entire conveyor, so that the system blends in with its surroundings. This also means that it’s possible for animals and vehicles to cross over safely.
ContiTech produced and delivered the belt within just five weeks. Thirteen 1km rolls, weighing 20 tonnes each, had to be shipped from Volos to Fos-sur-Mer (on the French Mediterranean coast) and then before being transported more than 360km to Montalieu, using heavy trucks.
Once the components reached Montalieu, the belt was assembled on-site.
“We did the job in two stages and spent a total of two months on location splicing the 13 sections of belt together in the middle of winter”, said Jan Poppe, head of field service international.
The 260-tonne conveyor belt is powered by three 250kW electric motors, and has been in use since mid-October. The belt transports limestone at a rate of up to 700 tonnes per hour in normal use – but at maximum capacity it can move as much as 1,000 tonnes per hour!
Monday, 12 January 2015
Putting the R in RAVENSCRAIG
Back in 2008, Cloburn was responsible for helping to create a modern work of art. We provided the aggregate to fill in the huge red letter R that was unveiled on the site of the old Ravenscraig steelworks in Motherwell, injecting some colour into the site and giving it a vibrant reminder of the old Ravenscraig corporate logo to look back on.
The massive red letter was a huge project in itself; it’s the size of 10 football pitches, and was originally created to be a part of the ongoing redevelopment of the area. It’s so big that it could even be seen on the London to Glasgow flight path! The installation took 2,000 tonnes of red aggregate from our quarry in Lanark, which was subsequently used in other construction projects on the site.
Murray Collins, of Capella Group said at the time: "The popularity of web-based satellite maps such as Google Earth has led to the growing phenomena of 'earth art' like the big 'r'." He added: "As well as demonstrating the ambition and confidence behind the redevelopment of the site, this project serves a serious purpose in signposting potential investors and partners towards Ravenscraig.
"There is nothing else like this in Scotland, which reflects the unique nature of the entire
Ravenscraig initiative."
Ravenscraig is still undergoing development, and is Scotland’s first new town in over 50 years. It’s also one of the largest urban regeneration projects in Europe. Once the project has been completed, the new town centre for Ravenscraig will feature around 1 million sq ft of retail, leisure, restaurant and community facilities in one of Scotland’s most accessible areas.
The ambitious regeneration of Ravenscraig has been contentious, but even so it’s expected to create 12,000 jobs and attract more than £1.2 billion of private sector investment over the next 15 - 20 years. To date, at least £200 million has been spent on the first phase of the regeneration with the creation of a brand new £30 million regional sports facility along with a new £70 million campus for Motherwell College and around 850 new houses.
The massive red letter was a huge project in itself; it’s the size of 10 football pitches, and was originally created to be a part of the ongoing redevelopment of the area. It’s so big that it could even be seen on the London to Glasgow flight path! The installation took 2,000 tonnes of red aggregate from our quarry in Lanark, which was subsequently used in other construction projects on the site.
Murray Collins, of Capella Group said at the time: "The popularity of web-based satellite maps such as Google Earth has led to the growing phenomena of 'earth art' like the big 'r'." He added: "As well as demonstrating the ambition and confidence behind the redevelopment of the site, this project serves a serious purpose in signposting potential investors and partners towards Ravenscraig.
"There is nothing else like this in Scotland, which reflects the unique nature of the entire
Ravenscraig initiative."
Ravenscraig is still undergoing development, and is Scotland’s first new town in over 50 years. It’s also one of the largest urban regeneration projects in Europe. Once the project has been completed, the new town centre for Ravenscraig will feature around 1 million sq ft of retail, leisure, restaurant and community facilities in one of Scotland’s most accessible areas.
The ambitious regeneration of Ravenscraig has been contentious, but even so it’s expected to create 12,000 jobs and attract more than £1.2 billion of private sector investment over the next 15 - 20 years. To date, at least £200 million has been spent on the first phase of the regeneration with the creation of a brand new £30 million regional sports facility along with a new £70 million campus for Motherwell College and around 850 new houses.
Monday, 24 November 2014
The Many Uses of Cloburn Granitsand
The range of aggregates we offer at Cloburn is extensive, and covers everything from heavy duty construction products to our own very specialised type of bedding sand, which we call Granitsand.
We’re very proud of the fact that unlike some similar bedding sand type products, Granitsand is made here as a specific product and it’s not just the by-product of the Cloburn quarrying process. We manufacture our hardy Granitsand using a mechanical compression process, taking the hard rock from the quarries and crushing it down into tiny sand sized particles. It’s specially made for customers to buy as a landscaping material, and a fantastic, hardwearing material for builders, gardeners and landscapers everywhere that can be used in commercial grade concrete flooring, slabs and patios too.
Granitsand is a low maintenance solution to your landscaping needs, and like all of the Cloburn products, it doesn’t degrade over time. The attractive red hue also gives it a stand out appeal which will last for many years and not fade in time or due to bad weather.
Many landscape gardeners like to use bedding sand products such as Granitsand to help them create a nice even surface to base their DIY projects on. It can also be incorporated into garden paths and patios, where you only need an inch or so underneath the slabs to make a really good job. It’s not the type of sand that you put between the stones or slabs though, that’s joint sand.
We believe that our Granitsand stands out from the crowd simply because we don’t think of it as an afterthought. It’s not a waste product of mining that we’re selling to make a bit of extra profit, it’s a specially created and carefully produced product designed specifically for the purpose.
It’s also made from stern stuff; we make Granitsand from some of the strongest rocks in Europe, and using a specific manufacturing process that stops it deforming under compression – and we believe this is probably why it’s the preferred bedding sand all over the UK and Europe.
If you’re stuck for a Christmas gift for that special person, we can also gift wrap a specially designed red, green and white festive Granitsand just for you.
For more information about uses for Granitsand, give us a call.
We’re very proud of the fact that unlike some similar bedding sand type products, Granitsand is made here as a specific product and it’s not just the by-product of the Cloburn quarrying process. We manufacture our hardy Granitsand using a mechanical compression process, taking the hard rock from the quarries and crushing it down into tiny sand sized particles. It’s specially made for customers to buy as a landscaping material, and a fantastic, hardwearing material for builders, gardeners and landscapers everywhere that can be used in commercial grade concrete flooring, slabs and patios too.
Granitsand is a low maintenance solution to your landscaping needs, and like all of the Cloburn products, it doesn’t degrade over time. The attractive red hue also gives it a stand out appeal which will last for many years and not fade in time or due to bad weather.
Many landscape gardeners like to use bedding sand products such as Granitsand to help them create a nice even surface to base their DIY projects on. It can also be incorporated into garden paths and patios, where you only need an inch or so underneath the slabs to make a really good job. It’s not the type of sand that you put between the stones or slabs though, that’s joint sand.
We believe that our Granitsand stands out from the crowd simply because we don’t think of it as an afterthought. It’s not a waste product of mining that we’re selling to make a bit of extra profit, it’s a specially created and carefully produced product designed specifically for the purpose.
It’s also made from stern stuff; we make Granitsand from some of the strongest rocks in Europe, and using a specific manufacturing process that stops it deforming under compression – and we believe this is probably why it’s the preferred bedding sand all over the UK and Europe.
If you’re stuck for a Christmas gift for that special person, we can also gift wrap a specially designed red, green and white festive Granitsand just for you.
For more information about uses for Granitsand, give us a call.
Tuesday, 11 November 2014
Cloburn and the Borders Rail Link
We’re very excited here at Cloburn about the Borders Rail Link – partly because we think it’s going to be such an amazing addition to the area, but also because we’re proud to say that we’re playing a big part in the construction of the link – we’re the exclusive supplier of granite track ballast for the project.
It’s a huge project; the Borders Rail Link will be the longest new domestic railway to be constructed in Britain for over 100 years - that’s an awful lot of granite track ballast! The line is set to improve and strengthen existing travel connections which will hopefully improve opportunities in the future for employment, business, tourism and leisure. Better rail connections in the area are also going to be great news for helping to reduce the increasing problem of congestion on our main roads between the Borders and Edinburgh.
Optimistic reports have also suggested that building a reliable railway line could prevent up to six road accidents every year. The project is certainly coming along apace with the rails crossing into the Scottish Borders for the first time in 45 years on 5th November at Cakemuir Burn. This is a special milestone in the project as it marked the completion of the rail installation process through Midlothian. There are now tracks in place all along iconic Borders Railway structures like the Lothianbridge Viaduct near Newtongrange and the Hardengreen Bridge.
Now the rail is in place throughout Midlothian, it can be used to transport engineering vehicles, including the special trains that are needed to complete the track laying process, which install ballast and undertaking the process of ‘tamping’ - packing the ballast underneath the rail and sleepers. Councillor David Parker, leader of Scottish Borders Council said;
“Seeing the rails enter the Scottish Borders brings home the reality that trains will be running along the railway next September. The Scottish Borders is just months away from reaping the benefits of this investment that will encourage more visitors to our many attractions as well as boost the economic health of our towns and villages.
It’s a huge project; the Borders Rail Link will be the longest new domestic railway to be constructed in Britain for over 100 years - that’s an awful lot of granite track ballast! The line is set to improve and strengthen existing travel connections which will hopefully improve opportunities in the future for employment, business, tourism and leisure. Better rail connections in the area are also going to be great news for helping to reduce the increasing problem of congestion on our main roads between the Borders and Edinburgh.
Optimistic reports have also suggested that building a reliable railway line could prevent up to six road accidents every year. The project is certainly coming along apace with the rails crossing into the Scottish Borders for the first time in 45 years on 5th November at Cakemuir Burn. This is a special milestone in the project as it marked the completion of the rail installation process through Midlothian. There are now tracks in place all along iconic Borders Railway structures like the Lothianbridge Viaduct near Newtongrange and the Hardengreen Bridge.
Now the rail is in place throughout Midlothian, it can be used to transport engineering vehicles, including the special trains that are needed to complete the track laying process, which install ballast and undertaking the process of ‘tamping’ - packing the ballast underneath the rail and sleepers. Councillor David Parker, leader of Scottish Borders Council said;
“Seeing the rails enter the Scottish Borders brings home the reality that trains will be running along the railway next September. The Scottish Borders is just months away from reaping the benefits of this investment that will encourage more visitors to our many attractions as well as boost the economic health of our towns and villages.
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