Details
- Contract Start 05 Jul 2013
- Location Former Milltown Airfield, Elgin
- Client Innes Estates
- Duration 12 Weeks
- Category Current Projects
Description
Challenge
RAF Milltown was a former Royal Air Force station located south of the Moray Firth and 3.6 miles (5.8 km) north east of Elgin, Scotland. RAF Miltown began life as a bombing decoy for nearby RAF Lossiemouth. Between 1941 and 1943, three runways and two hangars were constructed and the airfield became a satellite of RAF Lossiemouth.
In July 1946, along with RAF Lossiemouth, Milltown was officially handed over to the Royal Navy as HMS Fulmar II, a Deck Landing Training School.
Flying stopped in 1977 and the site was developed as a communications station,
and had some 50 masts visible. The land was to be handed back to the original owners, Innes Estates, by the MOD. The Estate required that the redundant infrastructure was to be removed in order that it could be ploughed and returned to agriculture. The site had been decommissioned and all radio masts removed, all power had been isolated and the water remained live.
Gilmerton Land Services (GLS) Solution
Once as laid drawings had been received, GLS performed a full site survey to establish a proposed scope of works. As a result we were able to offer a lump sum credit of £53,300.00 to Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), Commercial disposals. This allowed for work to commence at no risk or cost to the client.
Scope of works
- Site mobilisation
- Removal of switch gear and oil
- Identify and mark out live water pipes and BT cable • Identify redundant services to be removed
- Excavated and remove Cable systems
- Process, remove, transport and recycle material
- Backfill excavations and make safe
Services Provided
- Site survey
- Radio detection ‐ Cable location
- Excavation
- Purging of oil filled Transformers
- Oil Testing (PCB’s
- Demolition of Radio masts
- Demolition of Small Substations
- Cable recovery ‐ Removal of all redundant HV, LV and aerial cables
Recycled From Site
- Scrap arising from 10 different grades of cable Approx. 320 Tonnes (incl. 120 tonnes of lead, 100 tonnes of copper)
- Steel
- Transformer oil 3900 Litres
The Result
GLS were able to remove all redundant HV, LV and aerial cables from the site including the demolition and removal of one communications tower.
There were 10 different grades of cable removed, some of which contained lead that if left would have contaminated the ground. The enables the Estate to return the land to agriculture.
This has removed the environmental liability and delivered real value to the DE&S.
