The sport facilities project at Balderstone Library in Rochdale was successfully completed and recently handed over. The project, with an approximate value of £600,000, began in March 2021 following the successful completion of pre-planning conditions and pre-commencement reports.
Carried out on behalf of Rochdale MBC, the project comprised of the construction of an extension attached to the existing library accommodation which would provide sports facilities including changing rooms, toilets and a club room. The extension featured single-storey traditional brickwork and blockwork construction and the addition of a standing-seam Calzip roof. The extension has been fitted with UPVC & aluminium windows and doors throughout, with built-in integral security roller shutters together with internal fairfaced blockwork walls to provide a more robust construction solution, resulting in life cycle cost benefits.
Fairfaced internal blockwork walls with suspended and plastered ceilings were also included.
The extension features brand new changing facilities, shower areas and toilets to serve the sports fields that stand adjacent to the existing building. In addition, a new community room, containing toilet, kitchen and café facilities, now links to the library.
The Balderstone Library project is one of three projects completed recently for Rochdale MBC. A £1million project at St. John’s CE Thornham Primary School in Middleton, Greater Manchester featured an extension to the existing accommodation. B&E Boys also completed a major project at Woodlands Community Primary School in Heywood for Rochdale MBC. The Woodlands project comprised the construction of an extension featuring seven brand new classrooms. In addition to the new teaching spaces, the extension also contained a new plant room, circulation area, and toilet block. The new extension finally replaced temporary buildings that the school had been using for several years.
Balderstone Library is situated in the park on Platting Lane, Rochdale. More than £600,000 has been invested in the park, coming from Section 106 funding extracted from developers on Ginnell Farm, Dean Farm and the former Balderstone School. Section 106 funding is payable by developers to mitigate the impact of a new development to the local area. Often this takes the form of sports, leisure or playground facilities. The shortfall in the overall funding for the project was met by Rochdale Borough Council. Two new football pitches, changing facilities and a club room and café will greatly benefit the local community.
Of course, just as sports facilities are fantastic community hubs, libraries are too. All libraries across England and Wales are free to join. Becoming a member of Balderstone Library allows you to borrow a range of items from any library across the Greater Manchester region, as part of the Greater Manchester Consortium. These days, library lending has moved into the digital age. As well as physical hard copies of books that are still available, an extensive range of online resources can now also be downloaded to any digital device – laptop, tablet or smartphone.
B&E Boys look forward to continuing our relationship with Rochdale MBC on future projects in the years to come.
If you are planning a project, please do not hesitate to get in touch to discuss your needs.
