Industry award rekindles memories of Muirhouse accident
Last month, Urban Union’s Pennywell Living housing development received a silver award from The Considerate Constructors Scheme at the annual Scottish Considerate Constructors event held in the capital.
The Considerate Constructors Scheme is an initiative introduced by the construction industry to improve and enhance relations with communities where building works are taking place.
The Scheme encourages sites to adopt best practices beyond what is outlined in statutory requirements with the main areas focusing on impact on the general public, workforce and the environment.
In itself, the award is not earth-shattering news – these kind of industry awards are usually seen as shindigs, a jolly opportunity for companies, organisations and their clients to get together to slap each other on the back. BAFTAs for business, if you like.
But Urban Union’s award for their construction practices rekindled memories of a dreadful accident that happened just yards from today’s Urban Union site sixteen years ago this month.
On 10 August 1999 brother and sister Danielle (5)and William Welsh (6) died when they were run over by a lorry which was removing rubbish from a construction site behind Pennywell shops.
Danielle and William were playing outside their granny’s Muirhouse Crescent home when Danielle told her grandmother, Catherine Welsh, that she had found a 50p piece and was going to the shops. Mrs Welsh called them back, but they ran off towards the shopping centre, crossing a grassy bank on to an access road.
Construction work was taking place at the time, and as a lorry passed between a building and the grassy bank, the children ran in front of it. There was nothing the driver could do – it was later ascertained that the lorry’s speed was no more than five miles per hour – but the children ‘froze’ in front of the lorry and died in a horrific accident.
I remember the scene vividly – it was one of the first jobs I covered for NEN and I’ll never forget the anguished look on people’s faces as they took in what had happened on their doorstep.
While no one individual or organisation was found to be responsible for the tragedy, lessons were learned – albeit at an unacceptably awful cost – and safety standards have improved on construction sites. The Considerate Constructors Scheme is one example of this.
The Urban Union development in Pennywell was reviewed in five categories: appearance, respecting the local community, protecting the environment, safety and valuing its workforce. It received the silver award as it was deemed to have excelled across all five areas, since its launch last summer.
Urban Union’s mananging director Graeme Nicol said: “We are all delighted with this recognition from the Considerate Constructors Scheme. Our construction manager Brian Pettigrew and his team take great pride in delivering the Pennywell Living project to the highest standard.
“Most recently, as part of our commitment to the local community, a team of employees and our Urban Union mascot Ivor Goodsite, visited Craigroyston Primary School to teach pupils all about the different types of plant machinery and safety on site. This is an example of the work we do to ensure the local community is aware of the work going on, on their doorstep.”
So sometimes, industry awards really are something we all can celebrate. Congratulations, Urban Union.