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Unearthing the value of soil through collaboration

This CIRIA conference will explore recent concerns that practitioners have in dealing soil as a waste and a resource. It will also discuss how different stakeholders can work together successfully and help the industry to achieve the UK government’s ‘sustainable management’ target by 2030.

Background
Soil is a valuable resource that delivers a number of functions to support life on earth. It plays an important role in biodiversity enhancement, nature recovery and climate change mitigation and adaptation. However, ‘surplus’ soil which is generated in most construction projects is often considered to be a by-product of construction activities and is a ‘waste’.

In order for UK to meet the government’s target to achieve ‘sustainable soil management’ by 2030, the way that soil is managed needs to meet many geotechnical, geoenvironmental, ecological, soil science, soil health, economic and social requirements. It is difficult to achieve this if clients, consultants, contractors, and soil scientists work in silos to fully understand and appreciate every aspect of this wide and complex subject.

Collaboration is vital to sustainable soil management. This conference will explore what this means to the professionals involved. The event will discuss the concerns of different stakeholders when considering soil as a waste and a growing medium in SuDS. It will also explain how stakeholders could work together successfully to ensure soil management can meet project’s financial objectives as well as deliver ecological system services in different sizes of construction projects.

The conference will also include a site visit of the award-winning BLOC smart roof. This will enable the delegates to understand strategic drivers and the importance of collaboration, retrofit as well as the interplay between drainage, soil and biodiversity, passive irrigation and climate resilience planning.

Hosted by


Sponsorship opportunities
For information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Tam Simmons.

Why attend
  • Hear about recent Defra work including a preview of the forthcoming revised Code of practice for the sustainable use of soils on construction sites
  • Discuss recent concerns that practitioners have in soil management
  • Discuss how a local project in Liverpool has used soil successfully according to circular economy principles, enhance biodiversity and create an environment where the local community enjoy
  • Look at how soil can be used in water management and climate change controls eg SuDS
  • Attend a site visit to an award-winning BLOC smart roof and understand why the right soil is so important on green roofs
  • Network with specialists.
  • Earn valuable CPD.
Who should attend
  • Clients and developers
  • Consultants
  • Contractors
  • SuDS specialists
  • Regulators
  • Local authorities
  • Academics
When
Wednesday 10 July 2024
09:30 - 16:00

Programme
09:30 Registration and coffee
10:00 Welcome and introduction
10:15 Recent DEFRA work on soil
Graeme Duggan, Senior Policy Officer, Defra
10:35 A contractor's perspective
Speaker to be announced
11:15 Soil management - a client's perspective
Patrick Norwood, Project Manager, St Modwen Homes
11:35 Interactive discussion and Q&A
12:05 Overview of the site visit to the award-winning BLOC smart roof
Charlotte Markey, Green Urbanisation Innovation Manager,
Polypipe
12:20 Site visit and networking lunch
14:00 The importance of good practice
Joanne Kwan, Senior Research Manager, CIRIA
14:30 Soil and communities of interest, nature and landscape, a Liverpool journey
Richard Scott, Director National Wildflower Centre,
Eden Project
15:00 The right soil for the right SuDS
Sue Illman, Managing Director, Illman Young
15:30 Closing remarks and networking drinks

Where
Manchester
Venue TBA

Fees

Early bird
Until 24 May 2024
Regular
From 25 May 2024
CIRIA members £190 + VAT £250 + VAT
LACL members One free place*
Additional places £190 + VAT
£250 + VAT
BRMF members One free place*
Additional places £290 + VAT
£360 + VAT
Non-members £290 + VAT £360 + VAT

*Complete and return the booking form to Charlotte Draper.

Booking
Please sign in or create an account to register online for this event.
If you are experiencing issues registering online, please complete and return the booking form to Charlotte Draper.
Alternatively please contact us on 07933 181 765 or email our Customer Services team.

Notice for new bookings from EU/EEA customers only.
CIRIA is currently unable to directly process your transaction if you are purchasing from the EU/EEA region. If you wish to book onto this event please email your request to [email protected] and we will respond in the first instance.

Terms and Conditions
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Further information
For further information on CIRIA membership and other services, please contact:
Telephone: 07933 181 765
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.ciria.org
When
7/10/2024 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
GMT Daylight Time
Where
Venue will be announced shortly MANCHESTER
 
 

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