A Magherafelt-based construction company, FP McCann, has recently won a prestigious Gold Award for one of its sites, placing the firm in the top 21 sites in the United Kingdom.

The Considerate Construction Scheme is a national initiative, set up by the construction industry to encourage best practice beyond statutory site requirements, accounting for 8,500 sites across the United Kingdom.

FP McCann was considered for this award based on their work on the Derry City Centre Public Realm Improvement Works.

This major regeneration project has created a high quality, vibrant and modern urban environment throughout the city centre.

A score of 37.5 out of 40 was awarded with the judging criteria being, consideration, environment, cleanliness, being a good neighbour, respect, safety, responsibility and being accountable. To be recognised as a top performer and short listed for the National Awards, FP McCann conducted a series of initiatives designed to maintain relationships with both the community and local stakeholders while ensuring all site work and operations were carried out to exacting standards.

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Inherently, this project was based around the community, before work commenced, local traders and business's attended a series of design workshops enabling focus groups to have an input on the overall scheme design.

Once work began, traffic plans were compiled and distributed to help minimise any disruption, deliveries were made to satellite compounds on the periphery of the city with materials transferred when required.

The emphasis on being community focused was apparent throughout the project with college presentations, site visits, suspension of work during holidays and the continued sponsorship of local initiatives and awards all contributing to a consistent unified approach.

To further involve the local community, approximately 90% of the construction workforce resided locally and buses were provided to reduce the carbon footprint of workforce transportation by more than 30%.

Other environmental considerations involved auto computer shutdown, lighting run on both timers and sensors with low energy bulbs and overall waste quantities reduced through efficient design and CBR testing.

The scheme also achieved a CEEQUAL Excellent Award with the highest score obtained of a project of this type in NI.

Due to the city centre location of this scheme, site safety was paramount to both the overall success of the project in addition to achieving the prestigious gold award.

Plant and machinery movement was restricted to essential works, emergency procedure drills were practised, questionnaires provided feedback from the public accumulating with twice weekly meetings to discuss progress.

Upon completion, FP McCann were able to return Derry's City Centre to the public to provide a platform for social interaction and economic growth while in doing so being identified as operating one of the most elite working sites in the United Kingdom.

"This site's approach is exceptional, there continues to be clear evidence of thoughtful and considerate good practice from top management and all on site," said John O'Neil, Site Monitoring Official, Considerate Construction.

(GK/BMcC)