Thursday 8 March 2007

Schoolchildren met their very own Bob the Builder when he visited them to hammer home a serious message.

Countryside Properties’ health and safety officer Tony Hopkins called in on pupils at North Grecian Street Primary School in Lower Broughton to explain the importance of building site safety.

The visit was organised because Countryside is working with Salford City Council to transform 75 hectares of Lower Broughton, with 3,500 new homes and the development of new community facilities, open space, new road and infrastructure and extensive landscaping.

He spent a morning with the children and conducted an interactive presentation to educate them about the hidden dangers around building sites and building materials.

He also presented awards to eight-year-old Nicholas Byrnes and Bongani Ndela, aged 11, two winners of the New Broughton Juniors’ art competition that was launched in December asking children to design the house of 2020.

Karina Schwarzer, community liaison officer at Countryside Properties , said: “With construction at New Broughton now well under way, reaching out to the community and engaging with the children in and around the Lower Broughton area is vital.

“It is especially important when we’re looking at a build programme of between 10-15 years. Visiting schools is a great way of doing this; the children really enjoy learning about building and taking part in the drawing competitions. We always receive a tremendous response from the children and thoroughly enjoy doing it.”

Countryside Properties has developed New Broughton in conjunction with the local community, Salford City Council and Contour Housing Group over the past three years. Construction of the 432 one and two bedroom apartments and three and four bedroom homes within Phase One has started and first completions are expected this summer.