14 JULY 2009 - TOPPING OUT AT THE ROCK, BURY
The branch of a yew tree is planted into the structure at the top of The Rock as the developers, Thornfield, and main contractor, Laing O’Rourke, celebrate the completion of the main structure of the £350 million mixed use regeneration scheme for Bury.
This is a tradition – called Topping Out – which dates way back but is first recorded in 1393, when the architect William of Wykeham attended a similar ceremony during the construction of Winchester School. It is believed that the yew tree is a symbol of protection and good luck.
The Rock is already blessed with good luck, being one of the few developments still being built in the country. Over 200 companies have worked on the project so far, contributing to an average of 600 people working on-site every day since building began in May 2008. Over 1,000,000 hours have been worked so far and an average spend of £1 million per week on the construction of the project has brought The Rock to the mid-way point, on time, within budget and due to open for business this time next year, bringing shops and restaurants and some 400 apartments to the heart of Bury. A state of the art PCT centre is already up and running.
The total area of The Rock’s construction site is approx. 50,000 sq metres, the size of 40 Olympic swimming pools. The tallest two buildings are both 30 metres high, combining residential and retail, including a new Marks and Spencer. The top floor apartments will enjoy fantastic views across Bury and the surrounding areas, including Peel Monument, Winter Hill and as far as Manchester – you can even see the Beetham Tower.
Peter Warden, director of Thornfield, Leeds thanked everyone involved in the project and said: ‘This is a special day as we thank the workers who have got The Rock to the mid-way point on time, after much hard work and excellent project management. This time next year everyone in Bury will be able to enjoy the new shops, cafes and restaurants and a 10-screen cinema from Vue and 24-lane AMF bowling alley. Importantly for Bury, a lot of jobs are being created for locals, as well as providing enhanced facilities for the town. In the current economic climate, this is a very important and exciting project for Bury and the North West.’
Tom Higgins, Commercial Director for Laing O’Rourke Construction North, said: ‘It’s hard to remember that not much more than a year ago this part of Bury was a flat piece of land. Now, 1 million hours of labour and 8,500 tonnes of steel and 40,000m3 of concrete later you can stand amongst these structures that represent something genuinely inspiring for Bury. Everybody involved in the delivery of this development should each feel as proud as the people of Bury that something is happening here which isn’t necessarily happening elsewhere.’
