Delivering a positive impact to the community of Blackford, Perthshire

A new rail freight facility, in collaboration with Highland Spring Group and Network Rail, will benefit not only the environment, but the local community too.

United Kingdom | 29 August 2022
Reading Time : 4 minutes

As one of the leading UK producers of natural source water, Highland Spring Group bottles around 450 million litres of water every year from its headquarters in Blackford, Perthshire. A new rail freight facility, for which we provided multidisciplinary services, will remove 8,000 lorry movements from the road and reduce 3,200 tonnes of carbon emissions every year.

Careful attention to detail in the design means it will also benefit the local community, as Chris Reid, WSP Project Director; Mhairi Hawksworth, WSP UK Project Manager; John Collins, Senior Sponsor Network Rail; and Morwen Mands, Head of Sustainability at Highland Spring Group explains.

In what ways did you consider the community when planning the facility?

Morwen: Highland Spring Group is committed to being a considerate neighbour, and maintaining a positive relationship with the local community. The Blackford site is located close to the rail network providing the perfect opportunity for a rail freight facility which would remove around 8,000 HGV movements from the village per annum.

Prior to submitting the planning application, we held a voluntary consultation where we shared plans for the new facility with the community. This provided an opportunity to discuss any concerns directly with Highland Spring Group and for any recommendations to be incorporated within the design.

It was originally envisaged that the site would be connected to the rail network at its north end. The north end connection meant existing rail infrastructure could be used, however, the train would take around 12-15 minutes to access and egress the facility, which would block both the main line and the level crossing in the village during that time.

Changing to a southern connection removed the requirement for the level crossing to close when the train enters and exits the facility and delivered operational improvements and benefits for the local community. The connection also provided additional space within the facility to accommodate an additional rail wagon increasing the size of the train from 20 to 22 rail containers. With the Scottish Government aiming to decarbonise the railway by 2035, there is the potential for the facility to use electric rail freight in the future, further reducing emissions.

Did this change pose additional challenges?

Chris: We were initially introduced to this scheme as a designer on a D&B tender and realised the reference design could be better optimised. After presenting our ideas to Highland Spring Group, we were asked to develop this design further; the rest, as they say, is history.

Mhairi: The final design wasn’t the easiest option technically, but it will provide long-term benefits to the environment, the local community and Highland Spring Group’s business.

The new connection would require reacquiring planning consent due to the variation to the originally consented scheme.

John: With all parties working closely with the local community, the council and Transport Scotland to share their concerns and resolve any issues, Highland Spring Group secured planning permission, and Network Rail delivered the crossover in time for the completion of the facility.

The culture of collaboration has been dubbed the Spirit of Blackford. This project has shown what you can achieve when you break down barriers and build trust between parties.

What measures did you take to minimise impact during construction and operations?

Morwen: Working with contractors to minimise the impact on the community during the construction phase, a strict traffic management plan was implemented and adhered to by all contractors, and regular updates were provided to the community detailing upcoming works and measures put in place to minimise any disruption.

The facility has been sensitively designed to minimise noise and visual impact on the community. An acoustic barrier that runs the site’s entire length will minimise the noise impact of operations. Containers will be lifted and moved using a fully electric crane which has been specially designed with additional noise mitigation features.

How did you consider the future of the community?

Chris: Through the tendering process, we highlighted areas in the tender where we could ensure the contractors considered the community impacts and put in place benefits and considerate construction methods and working hours to ensure minimal disruption.

Mhairi: Located next to the Allan Water, the site is an area that suffers from flooding. We designed the scheme with climate change rainfall projections in mind, so it’s ready for a 1 in 200-year flood event. A natural swale forms part of a sustainable drainage system and ties into the site landscaping.

We also reused materials wherever possible. To raise the level of the site to that of the existing railway, we worked with civils contractor Luddon Construction to minimise imported material (and therefore lorry movements through the village) by stabilising the existing soils. Because the rail siding only needs to handle a few trains per day, travelling at just five miles per hour, we were also able to specify recycled railway sleepers mitigating the production 180m³ of concrete by doing so.

Were there other ways you added social value?

Morwen: To make a positive impact, the landscaping works included planting of around 2,000 trees, a wildflower meadow to support biodiversity and a new fruit orchard for the community to enjoy.

Upon completion of the works, rail contractor Story, upgraded the path to the local cemetery, which had deteriorated over time. This was greatly received by the community.

WSP and Highland Spring Group also hosted a STEM workshop at Blackford Primary School, with some excellent questions being asked by the young students.

Contact

Mhairi Hawksworth

Project Manager

United Kingdom

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