Overview:
Broad Lane Square is a public realm space that is overlooked by shops and housing in Tottenham in the London Borough of Haringey. The site was identified for improvement works, that would reinforce community ownership of the square and address issues of anti-social behaviour. Marlborough Highways was commissioned with creating a more pleasant and inviting civic area for the residents and with a view to increasing footfall for local businesses.
The Challenge
Situated at the foot of a residential tower block and running adjacent to a busy road of the same name, Broad Lane Square has long acted as an important space for local residents to meet, work and socialise. Small businesses operating in and around the precinct are passionate about the community, with the convenience stores, cafes and restaurants drawing in people from across the borough and beyond. However, Broad Lane Square had grown tired and was in need of regeneration, with poor street lighting, lack of any green space and a reputation for attracting anti-social behaviour. Works to improve and update the site had to be carried out quickly, safely and to an exceptional standard, with public access to shops and services needing to be maintained throughout.
The Solution
Ahead of the works there was a consultation with the local community, asking for their input on designs and for the public to raise any hopes or concerns that they had about the project. Enthusiasm for the scheme was hugely positive, although there were some worries about disruption to businesses while the works took place. Liaising closely with the shop and café owners, and coordinating in partnership with Haringey Council, Marlborough devised a short and efficient schedule of works, that allowed businesses to operate as normal throughout the period, while completing the project to time and to budget.
To make the space feel more welcoming, and to discourage anti-social behaviour, Marlborough replaced the square’s unsightly lamp posts with a softer, more contemporary lighting scheme, which included beautiful ornamental lanterns hung from a central tree and an innovative light projection feature. The introduction of foliage in raised planters with feature boulders built into a granite stone surround brought much needed greenery to the square, as did the installation of a sustainable urban drainage system. Meanwhile, the addition of attractive street furniture and a modern CCTV system, created a space that can be enjoyed safely year-round, either by day or by night.
Fact File
Client Haringey Council
Date November 2021 – May 2022
Duration 6 months
Value £500,000
Project
- Removal and safe disposal of existing paving materials
- Installation of new paving stones in the public square and on the approaches into the square
- Sustainable drainage measures to reduce flood risk through planting
- New trees and foliage along the front and centre of the square
- New street furniture
- Installation of CCTV overlooking the square
- New lighting including ornamental lanterns placed in a large central tree
Team
- 1 full time Project Manager
- 1 dedicated Quantity Surveyor
- 1 Site Foreman
- 8 Marlborough Operatives across all trades
- 2 Specialist Subcontractors
Client savings
- Elements of a stainless-steel handrail made off site by one of the client’s preferred suppliers needed to be modified by Marlborough to ensure the integrity of the works. An innovative solution was devised quickly on site without time delays or additional costs.
- Marlborough maintained good relationships with the business owners of Broad Lane Square throughout, alleviating concerns about the works access and assuring shop and café owners of the long-term benefits of the scheme.
Quote from client
“From the design stage, Marlborough Highways has been fundamental in delivering the Broad Lane Square improvements scheme. Their team carried out a site investigation and engaged with a number of specialist suppliers, before preparing a full cost breakdown with many suggested modifications. During the works, not only did the team manage to keep to the programme, but they went the extra mile to ensure attention to detail and came up with innovative solutions to address issues encountered on site. My thanks on behalf of Haringey goes out to Marlborough for their dedication to deliver.”
Dana Rasheed, Project Manager, Haringey Council
“One of the things I value most is their very collaborative and transparent team culture. It makes a big difference to have a contractor that wants to work closely with us and is supportive and responsive. With Marlborough, I get a team who are attentive, work collaboratively and honestly with me and don’t lose focus on delivering first class communications and compliance.”
“From the design stage, Marlborough has been fundamental in delivering the Broad Lane Square improvements scheme. During the works, not only did the team manage to keep to the programme, but they went the extra mile to ensure attention to detail and came up with innovative solutions to address issues encountered on site. My thanks on behalf of Haringey goes out to Marlborough for their dedication to deliver.”
“Working alongside our Term Service Contractor Marlborough Highways, we successfully completed renovations to the Crowstone Footbridge. The designs were provided by Marlborough, and the work was unique. The scheme was completed to budget and ahead of its programme duration.”
“I would like to thank you and your team for your efforts, the Marlborough crews were professional, courteous, and hard working all day and ensured the event went without a hitch. You and the team were a credit to the company, demonstrating commitment and support to the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.”
“I just wanted to say what a pleasure it has been to work with Marlborough Highways over the last six months. The quality of work is superb, and there has been some excellent collaboration between Milestone and Marlborough to complete, what at times, has been quite a challenging scheme. I hope to work with Marlborough on another project in the near future.”
“Marlborough worked with us in constructing a 1.3km cycle track. There were a number of technical difficulties to overcome, and their gifted foreman worked to propose some innovative solutions to the challenges we faced. The result is a facility that the locals are proud of, providing walkers and cyclists with alternative access to the hospital and nearby school. The scheme was a lot of hard work, but well worth it.”
“Marlborough attracts people who take care and have pride in their work. Several gangs of Operatives worked tirelessly for six months to reconstruct drainage networks, lay more than 3km of high quality bespoke granite kerbs and granite channels blocks to ensure positive drainage. The technical compliance, attention to detail and level of quality finish along the entire carriageway was exceptional”.
“We saw huge benefits in appointing Marlborough as our full service contractor and we’re impressed – they’ve delivered consistent high quality service and superior quality control across every project. Marlborough, provide us with a ‘one-stop’ shop solution – we get the same quality of service and better control across all aspects of the project.”
Please see our privacy notice for more information on how Marlborough Highways Ltd take care of your details.