A ‘flyover’ for cattle is in the frame for a top industry award.
Perthshire-based firm Bell Ingram Design teamed up with the Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) to create an overpass for livestock in a bid to try to resolve traffic delays at the Royal Highland Show (RHS) in Ingliston. The construction has now been shortlisted in the Infrastructure category at the RICS Awards, which recognise significant accomplishment in the land, property and construction sectors.
Previously at the RHS, the main pedestrian walkway had to be temporarily closed at certain intervals to allow cattle to pass from the holding ring into the show ring. This resulted in delays for visitors who had to wait for the animals to cross.
However, at last year’s event, cattle were able to travel via the new flyover, while the crowd was free to move through an underpass below.
Iain Cram, director of a team of architects at Bell Ingram Design, said, “This was an unusual and significant win for Bell Ingram, so we’re very excited that it has now been nominated for an RICS Award – it’s fantastic to have all our efforts recognised in this way.
“This commission was all about creating a better visitor experience for the thousands of people who attend the Royal Highland Show. The feedback from the 2016 show is that the flyover was a tremendous success, achieving its aim of allowing better movement of people without impacting on the well-being of the livestock.”
Mark Currie, head of operations for The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, said the underpass was part of a £1.6 million investment of improvements at the Royal Highland Centre. He explained, “This was undoubtedly a challenging project and the solution was exactly what we were looking for as it succeeded in improving the flow of livestock and people through the showground – greatly improving everyone’s experience.”
The RICS Awards will take place on the 27th April at the Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa in Edinburgh.
