ABLE Kirklees: The lake liner goes down

Work has begun on the massive task of lining the new fishing lake on the ABLE Kirklees site in Heckmondwike.

Heavy machinery unravels rolls of liner which once in place are sealed and covered with soil recovered from the site works.

ABLE2Build: Bird Hides

The ABLE2Build production of bird hides made from eco-friendly materials is going from strength to strength. The first model for ABLE Wakefield is now finished and has been installed on site thanks to funding from Biffaward, a multi-million pound fund managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT).  The team are moving on to complete further models for Flamborough and other Yorkshire settings.

ABLE Kirklees: The floating cafe anchor points go in

The concrete anchor points for the floating cafe have been poured and cast on the new site. This work will allow further groundworks in preparation for the liner to be installed in the next few weeks.



British Science Festival - Univeristy of Bradford

The ABLE project/ Green Business Network were invited to participate in the Science festival by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation who lobby for widescale environmental change to create a circular economy. The team took displays highlighting both hydroponics and aquaponics to illustrate this principle.

For more information on the just follow these links - British Science Festival and Ellen MacArthur Foundation.



ABLE Kirklees: Pioneering pontoons in the water

The development and testing of pioneering concrete pontoons is progressing rapidly at the ABLE Kirklees site.

 The team have constructed moulds from ecoboard before casting pontoons in lightwieght concrete.

 The resultant blocks have been turned out and lifted into water tanks using a crane.

The results have been very successful and development wil continue to ensure the best design possible for the floating cafe.

ABLE Kirklees grows its own aquatic plants

The team at ABLE Kirklees have nearly finished constructing raised beds to start cultivating aquatic plants for the new lake. Plants grown near the site office will be ready to be transplanted when work on the lake is completed.

Frames were made from recycled plastic sleepers, then edged with wood and lined with sand to protect the pond liner. One side of the liner was then screwed into place with another set of wooden batons before the tanks were filled to allow the water to position the lining using its own weight.  

ABLE Kirklees: The lake takes shape

Work is now progressing quickly on the new lake at ABLE 2 Kirklees.

Some sections are reaching depths of up to 3metres.

The material being dug from the lake is being sorted and sifted using machinary. 

The fine grade material extracted will be used to ensure no stones puncture the lining of the lake while stones will be collected and used to create gabions around the site. 

ABLE Kirklees: New steps allow better access to the ABLE 2 Kirklees site

ABLE trainees have started to replace the old steps leading to Heckmondwike site with new ones made of recycled plastic sleepers and limestone.

Boxes are fashioned in the workshops and then transported to the site.

The boxes are secured together and then trainees fill them with linestone chippings.

The trainees will also install rest stops alongside the steps and a channel to allow bikes to traverse the hill with ease.

ABLE KIRKLEES - Ground breaking scheme begins

Diggers have now begun excavating the lake on the new ABLE 2 site at Heckmondwike.

All of the soil removed will be kept on the site and used for landscaping and other works in the coming months.

ABLE Kirklees: Major Works Begin

Public access to the site has now been closed and signs erected as work begins.

Plans have been put up at various points around the site to allow people to see what the site will look like after the works are complete.

The first major work to excavate the 1.8 acre lake has begun. Diggers and dumper trucks have scraped the turf and topsoil back and the lake will take shape in the coming weeks.

ABLE at Swinton Community School, Rotherham

The ABLE Project's Future Jobs Fund trainees have had a unique training experience in Rotherham this year.

They put their developing construction skills to excellent use by revitalizing two unused quadrangles at the heart of Swinton Community School, Rotherham.

These drab concrete spaces were transformed into imaginative and engaging resources.  

The first space was repaved using recycled plastic ground blocks before two buses were lifted into place using cranes. 

A double decker became an aquarium complete with fiberglass fish tanks and hydroponic growing beds, complemented by a single decker which became an outside study resource.

The quadrangle also contains some large circular fishing tanks which have know been installed and are home to Koi carp raised at the ABLE site in Wakefield.

In the other space they complimented existing hard landscaping with attractive non slip wood decking and created an outdoor classroom and performance area, using existing structures to create a stage and ornamental fish tanks. The existing concrete structures were clad in brick.



The wide range of skills learnt by the trainees at the Rotherham project will be of great benefit to the building of the ABLE Kirklees project where works have just begun on site.

Sod-cutting ceremony - 27th January 2011

Cllr Mehboob Khan, Leader of Kirklees Council and Simon Firth from the Environment Agency performed the sod-cutting ceremony. This marks the start of the work on site.

The first major works will be the digging out of the fishing lake which should commence in March.