Council / Progress in getting former school demolition plans approved
THE COUNCIL’s roads service is now saying it has no objections to the traffic management of the demolition of the old Anderson High School – with all required plans expected to be signed off soon to allow the main work to go ahead.
Contractor Central Demolition had previously been asked to provide more information about the traffic and environmental management of the main demolition work.
Some minor work has taken place on the Shetland Islands Council (SIC) site since the contractor arrived last month, focusing on asbestos removal and other “internal preparation works”.
As per planning conditions, the main demolition work will only be allowed to take place once a handful of plans, including on traffic and the environment, are approved by the SIC’s planning service.
After asking for more information on traffic management, the roads service is now satisfied with what is being proposed.
This is partly because a parking restriction has been made in conjunction with the council’s project manager for the Knab redevelopment.
If enacted this will prohibit parking from around the Lighthouse Buildings down to Lovers Loan to allow construction traffic to pass freely.
Meanwhile the contractor has come back with a revised environmental management plan after the council’s environmental health service requested more information.
It says that “adequate water supplies will be in place to supply fire hoses and ‘dust buster’ water cannons to minimise the creation of dust on site”.
“Dust monitoring will be carried out at site perimeters during the work as work proceeds when required during the physical demolition of the main buildings,” it added.
Noise monitoring will also be carried out at the site perimeters, while mitigation measures will be implemented where required – such as sound barriers – to help ensure that permitted demolition related noise levels are not exceeded.
Demolition work will only take place during the permitted working times.
The plan said the demolition method is not a “one hit”, “but a progressive one, taking the buildings down in smaller sections to avoid or minimise ‘bangs’”.
The contractor added that vibration levels will be monitored at the site perimeter too.
“In the unlikely event that high levels of vibration are anticipated as a result of demolition activities, mitigation measures will be put in place (e.g. vibration trenches),” the plan added.
“No explosives will be used during the execution of the demolition work.”
It added that deliveries and removals will be carried out at off peak times, while the contractor has proposed a 15mph speed limit around the site for its construction traffic.
Most buildings on the site will be taken down to make way for housing.
Among the buildings which will are due to stay the Anderson Institute, the Janet Courtney hostel and the science block.
The high school site was vacated by teachers and pupils in 2017 when the new Anderson opened at the Clickimin.
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