The ability of Brett Landscaping to provide high-quality flag paving materials in a cost-effective, value engineered solution has helped a Yorkshire school to rise from the ashes after a devastating fire.
The main building of Carleton Community High School in Pontefract burnt to the ground on 19th October 2008. While a “Portakabin city” was erected in the grounds to allow the continuation of teaching, while plans were put in place to rebuild on the original site.
With the original building dating back to 1963, Carleton decided to take the opportunity to benefit from using modern techniques to create a holistic school landscape that would be highly functional but also eye-catching to provide an attractive environment for learning.
A spokesperson from the school said: “For the paving, we wanted clean lines that looked nice and were easily maintainable.
“At the same time, we were keen to incorporate exciting new elements into the design such as an outside amphitheatre for the students.”
The contractors were set a challenge by the site architect: find high-quality and attractive paving within the tight budget available for the rebuild.
It was at this point that Brett Landscaping was approached thanks to its reputation for paving products which combine good value and bold aesthetics to give the end user the best of both worlds.
For the Carleton Community High School Brett proposed the use of their Yorktone style for the school’s paved areas. Their Yorktone range of flag paving offers a textured finish which can be used to help create a very durable, hardwearing surface which combines contemporary aesthetics with excellent slip resistance properties.
For the amphitheatre steps, the company manufactured a bespoke paving unit fitted with an integral visibility strip, in order to meet access regulations regarding the visually impaired.
The installation of 4,500 square metres of Yorktone paving was completed in Summer 2012, in time for the return of students for the 2012-13 school year and the new building was officially opened in December 2012 by Councillor Peter Box CBE, leader of Wakefield Council.
A year on, Carleton Community High School’s head teacher, Hellen Bolton, is happy with the choice of Brett Landscaping. The smart appearance of the paving, particularly around the amphitheatre, has created a dynamic look which complements the new building.” she commented.