Foremans Calls on more Organisations to Dispose of Surplus Modular Buildings Sustainably

Foremans Relocatable Building Systems is calling on more organisations to dispose of surplus modular buildings sustainably.

The company is looking to further expand its stocks to meet the growing demand for refurbished modular buildings but says that too few organisations are considering recycling when they need to dispose of excess accommodation.

Foremans, which is the largest purchaser of pre-owned modular buildings in the UK, has recently completed a project for Slough Borough Council.

Working over a weekend and to a tight programme to avoid disruption to the Town Hall offices, Foremans removed a 17-module Portakabin building from the site in the centre of Slough.

Commenting on the project, Jamila Ibrahim, Moves Co-ordinator at Slough Borough Council, said, "The introduction of new ways of working, such as desk sharing and home working, has freed up space within the main Council office building, which meant this modular building became surplus to our requirements. We considered transferring the building to another site for use as classrooms but this was not financially viable."

"Foremans put a proper structure and programme of works in place for its removal, which set out clear timescales and responsibilities from the outset. This ensured the entire process was seamless and efficient. The Foremans team performed extremely well from start to finish."

"Their offer to buy our building, as well as incur all removal costs, gave the Council the best value over the other contractors we considered. Foremans provided a full service and we would definitely recommend the approach to other organisations with excess modular accommodation."

The building will now be fully refurbished and could be used for a range of temporary or permanent applications – from offices to teaching blocks, airport buildings, nurseries and hospital ward accommodation.

Foremans removes up to 1,000 steel-framed modules every year from sites across the UK as demand for its building services continues to increase. The recycling and refurbishment of modular buildings is now recognised as one of the most sustainable methods of construction – reducing the volume of waste sent to landfill and preserving the structural elements of a building which have significant embodied energy.

Foremans will undertake a full site survey and evaluation free of charge anywhere in the UK, and will remove each building to an agreed programme and with the minimum disruption.

The decommissioning and removal of full or part-buildings is carried out by Foremans' fully trained in-house site teams, in compliance with all health and safety, and CDM regulations.

For further information about selling a modular building that is surplus to requirements, visit www.foremansbuildings.info or call 01964 544344.