Volunteers from Amey Highways Create Safe Entrance to Ancient Woodland

The construction team from Amey Highways, who have recently completed the regeneration works on Station Street, have given a week of their time free of charge to help out a local community project.

The Elms Road entrance to the Scalpcliffe woods near Stapenhill Cemetery, was becoming a very slippery, muddy slope and very boggy in some lower areas, which was causing difficulty for walkers especially during the winter months. The site is home to an ancient woodland and is being preserved by a community group of volunteers, ‘The Friends of Scalpcliffe Woods’, supported by East Staffordshire Open Spaces Team.

Following a meeting between Amey Highways and the Chair of ‘The Friends of Scalpcliffe Woods’ it was agreed that Amey would install some drainage, raise the level of the path in the lower area, and construct some new steps up the slope, to provide a solution to improve the pathway and make it safe for walkers.

Work started on Monday 9th November and the mild and dry weather allowed for good progress to be made with the work being completed on Friday 13th November.

Cllr Ed Barker, Deputy Leader for Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said: “This entrance is a popular walk into the woods, but it can become very slippery and difficult to walk up. Creating these steps has made a much safer and easier entrance for the local community to use and enjoy and greatly enhances the Scalpecliffe woods community project. We thank the team from Amey for giving their time and expertise to help complete this very worthwhile and needed project”.

Richard Farmer, Amey’s Principal Construction Manager, said: “All Amey employees are entitled to take one paid day per year to work on a project in the local community. Following the successful completion of the Station Street Regeneration project in Burton Town Centre, the project team kindly offered their skill and time to complete a Community Involvement Project with the aim of having a further positive impact within the wider community of Burton upon Trent”.