After years of planning, the team behind the delivery of the new Nottingham development, Fairham, have successfully completed a complex infrastructure package.
The works, located off Mill Hill Island, were designed to improve access to Nottingham Express Transit (NET’s) Clifton South Park & Ride and create a brand-new signal-controlled entrance into the 606-acre neighbourhood, Fairham.
A key part of the project involved reconfiguring the road from Mill Hill Island to Clifton South Park & Ride with minimal disruption to its patrons. Owned by Tramlink Nottingham Limited, which operates the NET concession, the popular Clifton South Park & Ride is located just off the A453, with capacity for over 1,000 spaces.
Works began in September 2022. Despite terrible weather conditions and a tight timescale for delivery, a collaborative team approach by all stakeholders enabled Park & Ride patron’s access at all times and achieved practical completion of the works on 18 April 2023.
Furthermore, the new road leading into Fairham known as ‘Fairham Way’ was fully adopted by Nottingham County Highways upon hand over.
The access to and from the Clifton South tram Park & Ride remained open at all times to keep traffic flowing while works to create new earthworks, carriageway and signalisation took place.
O’Brien Contractors Ltd were awarded lead contactor status to complete the multi-million-pound infrastructure project by Clowes Developments who are delivering Fairham in partnership with Homes England, the government’s housing accelerator.
Tom O’Brien, director at O’Brien Contractors Ltd, said: “O’Brien Contractors are delighted that Clifton South Park and Ride access road and Fairham’s brand new signalled access road have been handed over on programme.
“This has been a team effort from the outset, by taking an open and honest collaborative approach, we have delivered a complex package of works which we are all very proud of. I, along with everyone from O’Brien Contractors, look forward to hopefully working with stakeholders on future projects.”
The 606-acre site is in the process of becoming a whole new neighbourhood for Nottingham with 3,000 new homes, one million sq ft of employment space and 200 acres of open green space. The works form part of £100 million of infrastructure improvements scheduled for Fairham.
Tramlink is currently in talks with Clowes to offer a Green Travel Plan for commercial unit occupiers and has committed one free tram pass for occupiers of the first 1,000 homes delivered at Fairham.
Andrew Conroy, Chief Operating Officer at Tramlink, said: “Each day, our park & rides across Nottingham offer a great solution for those living outside the city centre who want a convenient and more sustainable way to access the city. And, our Clifton South Park & Ride is no exception.
“It allows drivers living in and around Clifton and further afield to park their cars and use our trams to avoid busy rush-hour traffic on the roads or to get around the city cheaper.
“The recent infrastructure project delivered by O’Brien Contractors Ltd and Clowes Developments marks an exciting step for the people of Clifton and the many new homeowners who will call it home when the new Fairham site launches.”
As well as new homes and employment space at the new Fairham site, there will be a neighbourhood centre plus new educational, community and sports and leisure facilities. There will also be a protected future route for the NET tram.
Ali Malik, director at Clowes Developments, said: “The infrastructure works completed to date was all about creating an important new access for Fairham that will link to the whole of the development in the future. This will allow us to continue to build the internal road network to service the new homes, jobs, amenities and leisure facilities we’re creating at this major new neighbourhood for Nottingham.”
