Sherwood Forest project completes

Earlier this year we reported the start of a project to demolish and remediate the site of the former Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre.  Our client, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), planned to return the area to lowland heathland and wood pasture, creating 4 hectares of valuable wildlife habitat.

A key challenge for this project was to protect the ancient trees and other features of ecological importance within this Special Area of Conservation. In conjunction with Delta-Simons, HWA drew up an environmental management and demolition specification plan in which heavy duty protection mats, layered with sand and geotextile separator fabric, were used to protect the tree roots along with temporary fencing to protect the trees themselves. Meticulously careful removal of the 1970’s buildings and car park areas was then carried out under our supervision by the Contractor, Robert Woodhead Ltd and native soil imported from the nearby Thoresby Estate was placed in areas where hardstanding had been removed. The site was formally handed over to the RSPB in August 2019.

HWA are proud to have been involved in this valuable local project, providing high level expertise and planning in a scheme which brings nature back into this unique Nottinghamshire landscape.