A leading construction industry organisation has rated a major development by the Dandara Group as ‘excellent’ and ‘exceptional’ following a site inspection.

The award-winning developer is a member of the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) and in September a monitor inspected the Isle of Man Business Park site where the new Zurich corporate headquarters are being built.

The monitor assessed Dandara across five categories covering issues such as community engagement, environmental protection and safety, delivering a final score of 41 out of 50.

The company was described as ‘excellent’ in the ‘Care about Appearance, ‘Protect the Environment’, ‘Secure Everyone’s Safety’ and ‘Value their Workforce’ categories. In the ‘Respect the Community’ category, Dandara was described as ‘exceptional’.

The CCS is a non-profit-making, independent organisation founded in 1997 by the construction industry to improve its image. Construction sites, companies and suppliers voluntarily register and agree to abide by a Code of Considerate Practice designed to encourage best practice beyond statutory requirements. The scheme covers all areas of construction activity that may have a direct or indirect impact on the industry’s image, with the main areas of concern being the general public, the workforce and the environment.

In an executive summary following the inspection, the CCS monitor praised the development for giving an ‘exceptional first impression’, describing the site as ‘tidy and well organised’. Measures to protect the welfare and safety of site personnel were commended, with the report adding Dandara ‘has a “no discrimination” policy and is committed to respect, fair treatment, encouragement and support to all site personnel’.

The company’s engagement with the community was also highlighted, adding that the local junior school, Anagh Coar, was visited and a talk given on the dangers of entering a construction site. That visit led to Dandara launching a competition for the school, where children were asked to design safety posters with the winning entries now displayed at the site.

The monitor also examined Dandara’s awareness of its impact on the environment, reporting ‘good practice is evident with recycling of excavated material’.

The executive summary also highlighted measures to minimise inconvenience for road users, provision of a protected passage for pedestrians at the site boundary, consideration for the safety of visitors and the workforce on the site and Dandara’s informative website.

Contracts Manager Len Arnold said: ‘Dandara is committed to the highest standards on all its sites; we treat safety, environmental protection and engagement with the local community as our top priorities on every development.

‘External scrutiny is vital to ensure standards are being achieved and maintained, which is why Dandara is a member of the Considerate Constructors Scheme. While it is extremely pleasing to receive such excellent feedback and high marks from the monitor, especially for our respect for the community, the real value of the site inspection is highlighting those areas where further improvements can be made.

‘We are delighted to have been rated so highly by the CCS report and will be working hard to maintain those standards and improve where we can.’

Ongoing CCS monitor inspections will take place while the development continues.

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Image: Dandara Group Contracts Manager Len Arnold (left) and Senior Architectural Technician Visumbe Zivave at the Zurich site