ECO-GARDEN IS A RAIL CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK
Thursday October 15, 2009
• Eco-School reuses wood chippings from Airdrie-Bathgate railway project
Pupils of Allanton Primary have proudly unveiled a new Eco-Garden in the school grounds following the contribution of over twenty tonnes of wood chippings donated by Network Rail who have recently been removing trees along the route of the Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link project.
Parents and staff have been helping children from P4 and P5 to design and create a new soft play area using waste material from Network Rail’s nearby project. This initiative is part of Allanton’s Eco-Schools programme, for which they recently received their first Eco Flag.
Local MSP Karen Whitefield joined Network Rail senior project manager Hugh Wark at the school to see how some of these waste materials have been re-used as part of Allanton’s Eco-Schools programme.
Earlier this year, in preparation for construction on the closed section of the new railway, Network Rail contractors QTS completed an extensive programme of vegetation clearance. As part of the company’s commitment to reducing the environmental impact of construction projects, 100 per cent of the resulting timber and wood chippings were taken away to be recycled or re-used within local communities.
Hugh Wark, Senior Project Manager said:
“We’re committed to recycling or reusing as much of the material we generate on the project as possible. Following the vegetation removal earlier in the year we were delighted to offer chippings to Allanton Primary School as well as local residents and farm-holdings. It’s great to see this going to good use in the school’s new eco-garden.”
Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, added:
“It is great to see one of our local schools benefit from the work that Network Rail is doing to reinstate the Airdrie-Bathgate rail link. This really is a win-win situation. The people of Airdrie will benefit from the new rail line through improved access to employment, educational and leisure opportunities in West Lothian and Edinburgh and the pupils of Allanton Primary gain sustainable material for their new eco-garden.”
