Back to News
Hydrock nets geo-environmental and geo-technical role on multi-million-pound Belle Vue Academy site
15th Sept 2021
We’ve been appointed by Sir Robert McAlpine to provide ground investigations and remedial designs ahead of the delivery of the multi-million-pound Belle Vue Academy, a 92,000 sq. ft. secondary school planned for the site of a closed down cinema in East Manchester.
For more than 140 years, the site was home to Belle Vue Zoological Gardens, which included various buildings and a boating lake in the south of the site, before it was infilled back in 1968. Due to the site’s history, our geo-environmental specialists will be making sure there are no concerning contamination issues, such as ground gases or asbestos containing materials.
Richard Hyder, Senior Design Manager at Sir Robert McAlpine, said:
“We’d like to thank Hydrock for helping us unlock the complex ground conditions at this site to allow this much-needed school development to progress. We look forward to completing the project which will create an excellent facility for the local community and bring a dilapidated brownfield site back into beneficial use.”
Our team is currently undertaking risk assessments based on soil and water samples from the site investigation. Ahead of construction, we’ll also be providing the contractor’s civil and structural engineer with the geotechnical assessment for the design of the foundations and pavements.
Danny Hope, Regional Director at Hydrock, said:
“We’re delighted to work with Sir Robert McAlpine on this key transformation project. At Hydrock, we believe in creating places, communities and infrastructure that people can be proud of. This excellent education facility is typical of a project that generates long-term social value, promising to meet local community needs with more secondary school provision and making a difference for people in East Manchester.”
The seven-hectare site is now owned by Manchester City Council and this redevelopment will meet the need for an additional secondary school in East Manchester to serve the area’s growing population.
Contractor Sir Robert McAlpine has been appointed to build the 1,200-place school facility, designed by Space Architects. Work commenced in Spring 2021 with a targeted completion date of late 2022.
When complete, the new school in Gorton will be operated by the Co-op Academies’ Trust, a high-performing multi-academy trust sponsored, and later accelerated by, a £3.6m investment by the Co-op Group.
Under plans lodged in January, the development will include a three-storey main school building linked to a sports hall block of two-storeys, a 93-space car park, a drop-off area, grass football pitches and tennis and basketball courts.
Built in 1989 as part of the Belle Vue entertainment complex, the 14-screen cinema closed permanently last year at the start of the pandemic.
Images courtesy of Space Architects
Explore related
- News
Hydrock assists GRAHAM in achieving industry accreditation for carbon management system
Read more- News
Lights, Camera, Action! Sunderland gets set for Hollywood with planning approval of Crown Works Studios
Read more
- News
Hydrock’s fire safety experts support planning application for new R&A project in St Andrews
Read more
- News
Hydrock brings expertise to NHS estates programme to help meet sustainability and safety goals
Read more
- News
Ground-breaking land contamination conceptual model paves the way to a cleaner and safer future at Sellafield
Read more
- News
James McNay joins HSE Industry Competence Committee (ICC) to guide safer building construction for everyone
Read more
- News
Hydrock appointed to deliver catheterisation scanner suite at St Bartholomew’s Hospital
Read more
- News
Hydrock support successful planning application to extend Western Community Hospital in Southampton
Read more
- News
Hydrock’s Civil & Structural engineering team appointed on next stages of £104m Patchworks development
Read more- News
Hydrock supports feasibility and planning application on Grade II listed buildings in Leeds
Read more
- News
Civils & Structures team move to detailed design with Mi-space on 4.65ha Barne Barton site
Read more
- News
Hydrock advising BoKlok – the Skanska and IKEA joint venture modular housing business
Read more
- News
Hydrock on the strategic masterplan team for Cyber Central Garden Community, Cheltenham
Read more
- News
Hydrock's multi-disciplinary expertise helps unlock massive residential site in Bristol
Read more
- News
Stunning new headquarters for English National Ballet unveiled by London mayor, Sadiq Khan
Read more- News
Hydrock provides engineering services to transform Grade II* listed Cleveland Pools lido in Bath
Read more
- News
Transport team contribute to successful planning submission to revive Andrew Gibson House, Merseyside
Read more
- News
Multi-disciplinary advice helps secure planning for landmark footbridge in Pontypridd
Read more- News
Ground investigation work contributes to planning application for 282 homes in Stretford, Manchester
Read more
- News
Hydrock helps secure planning for refurbishment of historic Generator Building, Bristol
Read more
- News
Ground-breaking initiative to provide affordable housing to transform lives of Bristol’s young homeless
Read more
- News
The University of the West of England (UWE) appoints Hydrock to design new multimillion pound engineering building
Read more- News
Hydrock supports Linkcity with planning submission for 375 new homes in central Bristol
Read more
- News
Delivering key infrastructure assessments for proposed strategic rail freight interchange
Read more
- News
Hydrock’s highways and infrastructure advice helps secure planning approval for 345,000 sq ft industrial unit at CORE 42
Read more
- News
Hydrock appointed to appraise transport issues within historic Porthcurno Valley, Cornwall
Read more
- News
Hydrock’s transportation team help secure planning on 400-bed student scheme in Bournemouth
Read more- News
Hydrock delivers the multi-disciplinary engineering design on two middle schools in Rhondda Cynon Taf
Read more- News
Kier appoints Hydrock to design Bristol Aerospace Centre – the permanent home for Concorde
Read more- News
Appointed to support the delivery of world-class resources for the UK’s agri-tech sector
Read more
- News
Steel frame designed for Bright Bricks’ 160,000 piece LEGO® version of the Soyuz Capsule
Read more
- News
Hydrock appointed by John Sisk & Son Ltd to deliver works on Manchester Life development
Read more
- Articles
James McNay comments in RICS Journal: Compliance with guidance may prompt safety complacency
Read more
- News
