Hanson Formpave paving in Minehead regeneration

Hanson Formpave has installated its permeable paving Aquaflow as part of a multi-million pound regeneration project in Minehead, Somerset.

Over 6,500sq metres of its industry-leading paving were installed in the county council led redevelopment, which includes modern workspaces for business, retail opportunities, a 110-space car park and a viewing area for the new West Somerset Railway turntable.

Sustainability and protecting the environment were key issues for Somerset County council and a wide range of Hanson Formpave's products were specified for the project to provide environmentally friendly and economically viable paving solutions throughout the development.

Aquasett, EcoGranite, Chartres edging, Cornish edging and Tactile paving have been installed in the car parking areas and access roads at the extensive site, offering a practical and hard wearing surface whilst providing an aesthetically pleasing finish.

"It was essential that the paving on this project looked good and was 'in keeping' with the area but it was equally important that it provided a permeable paving and SUDS solution as it is in a low lying flood risk area," said Adam Burgess, architect at Aedas.

"Hanson Formpave's Aquaflow provided a solution that I was confident would perform well".

Steve Spikes, development director at Hanson Formpave said, "This was a flagship project to be involved with and it has given us the opportunity to demonstrate our various areas of product expertise at one site".

"By installing both the Aquaflow system to prevent flooding and EcoGranite as a 'green' solution, a truly environmentally friendly paving system has been achieved".

On site the areas that are paved with Aquasett form part of the Aquaflow permeable paving system that provides a very effective storm water management solution.

The paving captures rainwater, filters it - making it PH neutral, and stores it in an underground tank.

The cleaned water is then released into watercourses at a controlled rate in order to avoid overloading sewers and drains and prevent flooding.

The permeable paving is so effective that no standing water or puddles form on the surface.

Another one of Hanson Formpave's 'green' products to be specified at the site is EcoGranite.

The EcoGranite blocks have the appearance and benefits of 100 per cent granite products, but with the sustainable advantage that it has not drained reserves of the world's natural resources, providing a more environmentally friendly granite offering without compromising on quality.

Significant cost savings were also realised as it is less expensive to purchase than natural granite, and as it does not need to be laid on mortar, ease of laying is a key advantage.

"This is an important project, creating a new hub of activity in Minehead for the benefit of the community, in one of the most deprived areas in the region," said Carl Budden, head of regeneration at the South West RDA.

"This new development will help create a more vibrant economy for Minehead and the wider Somerset area by providing much needed work space for small business, as well as providing a welcome boost for tourism in the area".

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