Cassidy + Ashton lands stadium greening work

The building surveying division at the firm’s Chester office has been tasked with a lead role in reducing the carbon footprint of Halton’s DCBL Stadium.

Cassidy + Ashton is working with Halton Council on the £1.67m energy efficiency stadium project in Widnes.

The stadium is the home of rugby league club Widnes Vikings and American football team Halton Spartans, and was for a time used as the home ground of  Everton FC’s reserves.

Expected to be completed in March 2022, the project forms part of Halton Council’s aim to tackle climate change, and has been enabled by a £1.3m grant secured through the government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, run by Salix.

The works will include changing the heating system from gas-fired boilers to air source pumps, changing all lights including floodlights to LED lighting and the installation of new ceilings and insulation across the stands.

The stadium is also drawing power from the recently constructed solar farm on the St Michael’s Golf Course.

Cassidy + Ashton advised Halton Borough Council on the grant submission, procured contractors for the project, provided technical designs for the project and is now providing a contract administrator role.

Director Dave Owen led the team. He said: “This scheme is furthering the efforts to reduce carbon emissions across the world and will assist in reaching specific targets set out by our government.

“It is our ambition to work with clients to incorporate sustainable technologies where possible to bring energy savings and to assist in efforts to use alternative methods of heating, insulating or reusing materials for the betterment of the environment.”

Cllr Phil Harris, Halton Borough Council’s portfolio holder for climate change, said of the local authority’s efforts on climate change that “there’s still more to be done but there are further initiatives on the way”.

The project also includes insulation work on all grandstands. Credit: via Freshfield