We are proud to provide a sustainable, affordable, clean and safe water supply and to manage and treat the waste water returned to us in a way that protects the environment.
19/07/2007
A Lound barn has been given a £75,000 facelift to turn it into a valuable resource for the local community.
The Essex & Suffolk Water (ESW) barn, off Hall Road, is based on a site of high ecological value which is accessible through a network of public and permissive footpaths.
It was previously used for storage and had fallen into disrepair but the renovation means that it can now be used as a community resource.
The new-look barn will be used as a base for the volunteer group at Lound, which helps to manage the site, an education room for organised school visits and as a meeting room for Essex & Suffolk Water staff.
Over the coming months, local volunteers, school groups and volunteers from Essex & Suffolk Water’s community initiative ‘Just an hour’ will be working to transform the area around the barn into a wildlife garden.
Prior to work starting on the barn, surveys were carried out to make sure that no protected species, such as bats, were living in it.
The renovation work on the barn included underpinning work to secure the base and the creation of a storage area, a large meeting room, toilets and a small kitchen.
Dave Harvey, project manager said: “We are pleased to be able to renovate the barn into a resource for use by different community groups.
“We are committed to conserving our landholdings and promoting appropriate access to our sites and we feel that it will be a welcome addition to the resources on offer in the local area.”
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For further information please contact Claire Bishop on 01245 212 010.