Works were undertaken to complete a £1.8m project to replace Gooseholme Footbridge in Kendal, after 7 years of closure following Storm Desmond in December 2015.
Story Contracting were contracted by Cumbria County Council to complete the replacement of Gooseholme Footbridge, spanning the River Kent in the heart of Kendal. Story completed all stages of works on the replacement of the existing timber-deck structure which was severely damaged by flooding in 2015. The works comprised Stage 1 design, Stage 2 demolition and Stage 3 construction.
The project, which received funding support from the Environment Agency, South Lakeland District Council and Sustrans, resulted in the installation of a broader 3.5m-wide structure to enable shared access for pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair users. The new structure was also designed to improve the flood resilience of the structure by taking away the old piers and raising the deck above the river flood level as part of the Environment Agency’s ongoing Flood Risk Management Scheme for Kendal.
1000t
crane utilised for bridge lift
42 metre
single span structure installed
Throughout the delivery of the project the Story team worked in close collaboration with a variety of key stakeholders including Environment Agency, Cumbria County Council, South Lakes District Council and Sustrans to ensure the successful completion of the works.
As the structure is adjacent to a key road in Kendal town centre, works were planned so as to ensure full capacity of highways, minimising disruption to local residents.
Close collaboration also enabled the works to tie in with the adjacent EA Flood Risk Management Scheme, with the structure’s abutments and training walls acting as flood defences.
Works were also designed and carried out so as to meet strict environmental consents, mitigating any risk of pollution to the river Kent. In order to mitigate contract start delays and manage risk, Story attended site in late 2021 to complete additional statutory diversion enabling works, which allowed main contract works to begin in the first weeks of 2022.
The Story team engaged closely with the local community throughout the works, ensuring the public were kept up to date with the scheme’s progress. This included community drop-in sessions, visits to site by local residents and updates to publicise the bridge lift which was attended by hundreds of local residents.
Story also carried out STEM activity sessions at the local Stramongate Primary School as part of its Inspiring Future Generations initiative, with the children suggesting potential names for the new structure. Story and Cumbria County Council then produced a shortlist from which local residents voted on the name of the new bridge.
The whole thing went flawlessly and was a credit to the planning and preparation that went into it by all the teams involved, and under such scrutiny by the large crowd and media attention. Please pass on my thanks to the Story site team for the professionalism and teamwork that ensured the aforementioned success.
BAE Systems
Story Contracting were contracted by BAE Systems to carry out the project which was a mixture of civils and building works to prepare the site for the new University of Cumbria facility.
Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO)
Story Contracting were contracted by Landmarc to carry out the project to construct a new 1214m2 industrial style training building for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) within the Catterick MOD base.
Holmen Iggesund
In 2021 Story were appointed to assist the design team to produce the most efficient construction sequence to carry out the construction of a new Effluent Treatment Plant at the Iggesund factory in Workington, Cumbria.