London SE1 community website

Shard skyscraper noise reduction efforts win national award

London SE1 website team

Southwark Council, Mace and Temple have received a prestigious award from the Noise Abatement Society for their efforts to reduce the impact of noise from the Shard construction site on local residents.

Shard skyscraper noise reduction efforts win national award
Shard skyscraper noise reduction efforts win national award
Winners including Southwark's Cllr John Friary and Alan Blissett at the John Connell Awards ceremony

Cllr John Friary, Southwark's cabinet member for community safety, joined Southwark officers at the House of Lords this week to collect the award.

The awards are named in honour of the Noise Abatement Society's founder, John Connell OBE, who successfully lobbied the Noise Abatement Act through Parliament in 1960.

Southwark Council, Temple Group and Mace won the Silent Approach Award for their work to protect local residents and businesses from disturbance during the construction of the Shard skyscraper at London Bridge.

The measures that the council, the construction contractor and their consultants have put in place at the Shard have already become a template for other major urban construction sites.

Despite the measures taken, local residents have still been disturbed by night-time noise from the construction site.

Southwark environmental health officer Alan Blissett also received a lifetime achievement award from the society in recognition of his work during 47 years in noise mitigation and prevention.

Since stepping down from management in 2007 he has worked for environmental protection through major planning and redevelopment schemes, construction management and premises licensing.

Southwark Council's planning committee recently approved the £4.4 million Shard Southwark Vocational Programme which aims to help Southwark residents benefit from the job opportunities in the Shard.

The programme is a collaboration between the council, Shard developers Sellar and Southwark College and will offer tailor-made courses to provide the skills directly needed for the variety of job opportunities in the building.

"We are excited that managers from the Shangri-La Hotel and Sellar are thinking forward and working closely with the college to help design courses and to guarantee interviews for local people, two years before the Shard is due to open," says Cllr Fiona Colley, cabinet member for regeneration.

"This is exactly the sort of partnership project we need to ensure that Southwark residents really do get a shot at the new jobs coming into the borough and that regeneration truly benefits our community as well as developers and businesses."

The scheme is funded by section 106 contributions from Sellar linked to the planning permission for the development.

The SE1 website is supported by people like you
We are part of
Independent Community News Network
Email newsletter

For the latest local news and events direct to your inbox every Monday, you need our weekly email newsletter SE1 Direct.

Archive
News archive from February 1999 to January 2001
Got a story for us?
Contact us with your tip-offs and story ideas.