Natural stone specialist, Forest Pennant, based in the Royal Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire has supplied over 1,800m2 of Royal Forest Pennant sandstone for the paving of pedestrianised zones along Duke Street in Cardiff, adjacent to the castle moat and the Animal Wall. Situated in a conservation area, the paving was partially funded by the Welsh Assembly Government Transport Grant, part of the first ever National Transport Plan for Wales, launched earlier this year.
Having specified products from the stone specialist on a number of occasions, including the initial supply of 180m2 of Pennant sandstone for the reconstruction of the pavement where Duke Street meets Castle Street, main contractors Birse Civils, working on behalf of Cardiff City Council, was confident that Forest Pennant could supply the hardwearing and high quality product required for the paved surface, on-schedule and efficiently.
Complementing the Porphyry stone used for the castle entrance, the Royal Forest Pennant sandstone, with its natural tones of blue and grey, is ideal for the South Wales site, due to its indigenous qualities to the region. This has also enabled Birse Civils to meet the stringent sustainability and carbon footprint criteria of the council’s specification.
Commenting on working with Forest Pennant, Kiernan Bird, framework manager for Birse Civils said: “As part of the Balfour Beatty group, Birse Civils values the contribution that our suppliers make in helping us to achieve our 2020 Vision. By working with companies like Forest Pennant we are able to deliver on these aims and ultimately create a sustainable built environment for the future. The continued regeneration and redevelopment of Cardiff is a prime example of what can be achieved by working together.”
Managing director of Forest Pennant, Nick Horton said: “It’s an exciting time in Cardiff. The Welsh capital has undergone extensive redevelopment and regeneration, including the construction of the Millennium Stadium and more recently, the St. David’s 2 project and so to be able to work with both Birse Civils and Cardiff City Council to continue this improvement is a prestigious opportunity for us. In specifying our indigenous natural stone they are ensuring the use of sympathetic and long-life materials and also helping to future-proof Cardiff for the 21st century and beyond.”
“Early 2011 will also see the installation of our Pennant sandstone at the new Travelodge development situated in The Friary, off Queen Street. This is proof of the cohesive and complementary thinking behind redevelopment across the city and the positive influence of materials of choice on the aesthetics and finish in urban regeneration projects.”
Forest Pennant supplies natural stone for both commercial and domestic use, extracting the indigenous Pennant stone from its very own quarry at Barnhill, Royal Forest of Dean. Using sustainable extraction techniques, the locality of the quarry and the natural elements of the stone itself makes it an integral, environmentally-beneficial material for building, architecture and masonry in the UK; suiting both traditional and modern methods of construction.
