Keynsham Recycling Hub which was constructed by Farrans for client Bath & North East Somerset Council has won a RICS South West award in the Public Sector category.

The Hub is a modern facility providing various services aimed at simplifying recycling for residents, thereby contributing to reductions in general waste and operational expenses. Spanning four hectares, the site features a reuse shop where individuals can donate gently used items for resale, as well as an MOT and Servicing Centre.

The hub consolidated the council's operational facilities from three sites across the district, becoming the central depot for more than 100 recycling and refuse collections vehicles and serving as the base for more than 200 operations and support staff, who now work in modern offices with welfare facilities.

The Keynsham Recycling Hub, along with four other successful projects from the South West, has advanced to the national level and is now competing in the RICS Awards Grand Final at The Park Plaza Riverbank, London, scheduled for October.

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The winning regional projects were judged across five categories – residential development, community benefit, heritage, public sector, refurbishment-revitalisation.

South West RICS Awards judging panel chair James Wakeham said: "These winning projects are a true testament to the hard work and dedication of industry professionals in the South West.

"The talent and collaborative approaches undertaken by the teams behind these projects have resulted in exemplary and innovative schemes that really do represent the very best built projects across the South West."

The Reuse and Recycling Centre opened to the public in April 2023. Phase 2 of the project progressed throughout the year, involving the demolition of the old Pixash Recycling Centre. This phase also included the establishment of new operational infrastructure for waste and recycling collections, bulk transfer to processing or treatment sites and a substantial deployment of sorting and baling equipment for recyclables. Phase 2 concluded in January of this year.

Clare Taylor, contracts manager at Farrans Construction, said: "Our team has been proud to deliver Keynsham Recycling Hub, a state-of-the-art facility which offers its visitors a truly sustainable experience by encouraging reuse and recycling in line with the council’s Climate and Ecological Emergency policy aims. With its own onsite power generation capabilities, this hub is an example of what can be created with innovation and collaboration.

"We have worked with local partners in Keynsham and the wider B&NES region to provide employment and training opportunities, engage in educational and community initiatives and support the local economy throughout the project. We worked with local supply chain, led construction workshops for 1,295 school children and donated over £4,000 to charities in this area. We have had a growing presence in the Bath and Bristol region over the last decade and we are continuing our work here on site at a large public transport hub at Bristol Airport with our JV partner Alun Griffiths."