County Durham restoration and high level repair experts, Stone Technical Services (STS), have secured one of their most high profile projects to date.
Having competed against some major national businesses, STS’s restoration division has won a contract worth in the region of a quarter of a million pounds with the Royal Parks in London to work on the world famous Serpentine Bridge in Hyde Park.
STS Restoration will be carrying out a full bridge renovation at the Serpentine which will include repairs to the masonry, balustrades and balusters to ensure it is preserved in its original state. STS will use specialist pontoons to carry out the works to cause minimal disruption and also to preserve the environmental heritage of the area.
The Serpentine Bridge, which dates back to 1820, marks the boundary between Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens and is one of London’s best known landmarks. The recreational lake covers a 40 acre site and was developed at the request of Queen Caroline, wife of George II. Over the years it has hosted world-famous events including the 1977 Silver Jubilee celebrations and events during the London 2012 Olympics.
STS is one of the UK’s leading bridge restoration experts and has carried out specialist repairs at locations including Chantry Bridge in Wakefield,Cornton Bridge in Edinburgh, Cramond Bridge in Edinburgh and Elvington Bridge in East Lincolnshire.
MD of STS, Dave Stone, said: “Bridges are an incredibly specialist area and we have a skilled team of highly qualified heritage masons, accredited to the highest industry standards by the Construction Skills Certification Scheme.
“We have vast experience of working on modern, ancient and medieval bridges, viaducts and culverts whether the structures are concrete, stone, steel or listed. We have beaten off some very high profile, national competition to secure this magnificent project at the Serpentine which is strengthening our reputation in London where we are growing rapidly, leading to job creation in the North East.”
STS has this year experienced more rapid growth than predicted and is already ahead of planned expectations. London is one of the business’s fastest growing areas and so far this year STS has completed projects at St Paul’s Cathedral, the Royal Courts of Justice and a range of churches.
STS carries out a range of work on bridges including comprehensive surveys, emergency making-safe repairs, vegetation control, upgrading and general maintenance. The company works on a variety of projects for organisations including British Waterways, the Highways Agency, Network Rail, English Heritage, the National Trust and councils, main contractors and high profile architects.