Progress of Gorge project brings cheer

The Ironbridge Gorge is known for its land instability, caused by the geology of area, its closeness to the river and its industrial history which has left mine shafts under some of the land.

And Jackfield is known as being one of the most unstable areas of the Gorge, and so this multi-million pound plan has been put in place to help keep the area more secure.

In a monthly newsletter distributed to the people of Jackfield by Telford & Wrekin Council and the contractor McPhillips, they have outlined the current work on the Jackfield Stabilisation Project.

At the moment, work is progressing on the main slip area, with the creation of piling mats to support the piles which are creating foundations deep into the banks of Jackfield.

Material is being excavated and re-compacted to provide a stable ground for the piling rigs to stand on during the work.

Buried remains of the former Wallace Tileries and a tramway were uncovered which have been recorded by archaeologists working on site.

Several mineshafts are known to be present on the site, with council contractors GIP Ltd and M&J Drilling due to begin investigation and treatment works shortly.

Work is also ongoing to protect wildlife in the area, with reptile fences and bird and bat boxes in place to ensure they are kept safe during the process.

The overall work will cost a total of £17.6 million with contributions made by the Government's Department for Communities and Local Government which has been part matched by Telford & Wrekin Council and is set to be completed by March 31, 2016.

Councillor Keith Osmund-Smith, chair of The Gorge Parish Council, who chairs a stakeholder group who meet on a monthly basis to get updates on the work said, at the moment, everyone is pleased with the way the work is progressing.

He said: "Everything is absolutely on schedule, there are always things that could potentially go wrong but at the moment everyone including the residents, contractors and borough council are delighted with the way the work is progressing.

"I think everyone is very much looking forward to the next 12 or 18 months which will bring greater prosperity into the area."

Initial work on the project began in May, with hundreds of trees have felled alongside the most active area of land to make way for the main works.

McPhillips has also been treating mine workings under ground in the area, piling which will create reinforcements under the land, river bank protection to prevent further erosion, drainage of water from the land to prevent anything which may cause land movement once the piling has been completed, the construction of a highway between the end of the Tile Museum to near Maws Craft Centre to replace the existing road and landscaping.

The council and contractors are planning to host a site open day for interested parties later this year, but the date is yet to be confirmed.