Milton Keynes firm called in after badger sett disrupts school foundations
A city firm has rushed to the rescue after a a school’s foundations were damaged by a family of badgers.
Milton Keynes-based ground engineering experts Mainmark UK successfully strengthened the ground beneath the junior school, which had been adopted by a whole family of badgers.
Situated in Watford, the premises had a void under one classroom block and the dark, warm conditions there became the perfect home for the clever creatures.
But the resulting tunnels they created caused damage to the drainage network, undermining the school’s foundations.
Mindful of not disturbing protected wildlife, Mainmark’s supported Claim and Risk Solutions provider GHG Solutions Ltd, who worked closely with Natural England, the Government’s adviser for the natural environment in England.
Carefully they built an artificial sett within the school grounds and the badgers were tempted away to take up residence in it.
Once the badgers were moved, it had to be confirmed by Natural England that there was no movement or activity at the old sett for 14 consecutive days. Only after this period could any groundwork begin.
GHG Solutions Ltd were instructed to support the school by its insurer, bringing Mainmark on board and instructing the team in the early stages.
The project was completed in just nine days during a school holiday with Mainmark safely improving the ground, filling the voids and trengthening the 96 concrete pad foundations beneath the classroom block.
The large badger sett had compromised the ground, which already had a slight gradient beneath the building, causing significant soil disturbance, raising concerns over the long-term stability of the foundations and structure above.
GHG Head of Technical, Steve Wright, said: “The challenge was to produce a scheme to remove the live badger sett beneath a block of six school classrooms. We quickly established that no temporary classrooms were economically available, so we had to design a remedial scheme with the classroom block in situ and in full use.
Mainmark UK Residential Lead, Freya Chapman, said: “With nearly half a million badgers across England and Wales, it comes as no surprise that badger setts are becoming more common in urban environments.
“Thanks to the collaboration between GHG and Mainmark, the school saved nearly £250,000 in potential temporary relocation costs.”