MORE than 99% of materials from a demolished multi-storey car park have been recycled.
Lichfield District Council confirmed the figures after the work was carried out to knock down the Birmingham Road facility by specialist contractor Cawarden.
Throughout the project all materials were separated to maximise recycling potential, with concrete and brick hardcore crushed and transformed into high-quality aggregate which will be used in future construction projects.
A portion of the materials was also used in levelling the site during the groundworks. Meanwhile scrap metal, including lintels, load-bearing beams and copper and brass cables were loaded and transported to a local recycling centre for smelting.
Lichfield District Council’s cabinet member for finance and commissioning, Cllr Rob Strachan, said:
“The demolition of the multi-storey car park is a key step in the redevelopment of the Birmingham Road site.
“I’d like to thank Cawarden for its efficient management and delivery of the project.
“Recycling more than 99% of the building is a remarkable achievement and it supports an aim of our Lichfield District 2050 strategy which is to create the greenest district in the country.”
Jonathan Groves, Cawarden Group’s quality director, said:
“Sustainability has been at the heart of Cawarden’s business for almost four decades, with a strong commitment to recycling materials.
“Our approach to the demolition of Lichfield’s multi-storey car park has embraced our company ethos and we are proud to report an impressive 99.8% recycling rate on this project.
“We also continuously invest in new plant and vehicles with the latest fuel-efficient, low-emission engines, while embracing emerging technologies to drive our journey toward net-zero.”
Meanwhile people are wasting fuel driving around trying to find a parking space near the Garrick. Heaven knows what will happen when the new cinema opens as well!!
i care more about being able to park
Great to hear. This area is starting to take shape now that eyesore has gone, and of course the car parking chaos predicted by naysayers over panto season did not materialise. Be bold and stick with the ambition!
Reading this it occurred to me that in the 15+ years of living in Lichfield I can count on one hand how many times I ever used the multi storey. I doubt I’ll use an art house cinema either.
Friary car park (never full) to Garrick = 8 min walk…
In reply to Gerp
Your 8 minute walk = half an hour or impossible for some people. That’s why the multistorey was popular. Nobody said it was beautiful, it was in the right place though.
Actually, there were considerable parking problems for Garrick panto-goers this season with many caught out by the sudden absence of the multi-storey car park. And parking was already difficult in Lichfield, particularly when large events such as the Bower are on, with people parking on grass verges, etc.
Recycling should obviously be encouraged, but it is only third-best in the in the “reduce – reuse – recycle” waste hierarchy. A far better option would have been to continue using and reusing a perfectly sound car park that was meeting a clear need, and generating revenue for the Council in the process.
Whatever the ambition is, it doesn’t seem to match anything anyone outside of the Council actually wanted, and it seems likely that this “redevelopment” has already cost us a 120-year-old Lichfield business in Friary Shoes. It is also costing Council taxpayers millions, including hundreds of thousands wasted on demolition costs.
Recycling should obviously be encouraged, but it is only third-best in the in the “reduce – reuse – recycle” waste hierarchy. A far better option would have been to continue using and reusing a perfectly sound car park that was meeting a clear need, and generating revenue for the Council in the process.
Also, there were considerable parking problems for Garrick panto-goers this season with many caught out by the sudden absence of the multi-storey car park. And parking was already difficult in Lichfield, particularly when large events such as the Bower are on, with widespread inconsiderate parking on grass verges, etc.
Whatever the ambition is, it doesn’t seem to match anything anyone outside of the Council actually wanted, and it seems that this “redevelopment” is partly to blame for the loss of a 120-year-old local Lichfield business in Friary Shoes. It is also costing Council taxpayers millions, including hundreds of thousands wasted on demolition costs.