Professor Veronica Hope Hailey, Vice-President Corporate Engagement and Dean of the School of Management; Professor Steve Egan, Vice-President (Implementation); and Martyn Whalley, Director of Estates joined Professor Dame Glynis Breakwell, President and Vice-Chancellor, to symbolically cut the first turf of the new School of Management building on Friday 27 July.
The turf cutting marks the start of the work on site, preparing the way for the main build which received planning consent on Wednesday 25 July.
The new building, scheduled to open in September 2020, will be at the main entrance to campus, opposite the Sports Training Village and the Arrivals Square, and has been designed by pioneering British architects Hopkins.
In the first stage the ground will be cleared and trees removed by Bath & North East Somerset Council. Many of these were planted in high density when the Sports Training Village was built and would have been removed as part of thinning in due course.
The trees will be replaced as part of a new Landscape and Ecology Management Plan, currently in development. The University has worked with the B&NES ecologist and landscape architect to identify species that are better adapted to climate change and enhance the landscape.
Port Talbot-based Civil Engineering contractor Andrew Scott Limited have been appointed following a competitive tendering process to undertake the enabling works contract which includes the excavation of the new basements, foundations and construction up to ground floor slab.
The University project team will work closely with the contractors to ensure any disruption is minimised. To enable work on services to the new building there will be temporary single file traffic arrangements in place on Convocation Avenue w/c 30 July for five weeks.
The 4ES car park F will also close on 29 July as it incorporated into the development. New spaces will be made available as part of improvements to the East overflow car park which will bring the facility up to a permanent standard.
South car park spaces will also become available again as the Milner Centre build finishes.