CASE STUDY : Arla, Lockerbie

Project Overview

We were contracted to carry out the strip out and internal demolition works at the Arla dairy plant in Lockerbie at the end of 2025. This site was officially opened in 1975 and is one of the the UK's largest dairy processing facilities. In 2025 Arla made the decision to invest £144 million pounds into this existing site, and engaged with Allclear to get the site enabling works prior to their refurbishment works.

Throughout the process of our works, this factory was still fully operational, and was a live food production environment, which meant we had to work carefully towards very strict H&S practices and procedures throughout.

The works included removal of high-level brick works, redundant M&E, suspended ceilings, whitewalls, crash barriers and concrete curbs, steel gantries and several large scale evaporator and chiller machines. These works were completed across a planned sequences of works, to avoid interuptions to the ongoing food production facility, initially starting with the evaporator and chiller removals, then moving into the strip outs and demolition works.

Key Project Steps

Pre-Planning

• Following extensive investigations to determine how this structure was constructed, and taking into account the surrounding and still functional parts of the food production facility it was decided that the works would be completed in way of a planned sequence of works, with waste arising being continuously removed from site throughout the tasking.

• Enusring all demolition tasks were segregated and drop zones established using heras fencing and appropriate signage, with entry restricted to demolition staff only.

• Careful removal of the five near redundant evaporating and chiller structures were removed. Our operatives completed these tasks using a combination of hand tools, reciprocating saws, wire snips and MEWP scissor lifts. Starting at the roof elevation and removing individually in a top down method.

• Arrangements were made for MEWP scissor lifts to be used as part of the top-down removal method for the gantry removals, M&E and the high level ceiling and light fitting removals.

• Our operatives then moved across to the next phase which was the white wall, barriers and curb removals, again using the MEWP scissor lift for additional access and safety.

• The next phase was the masonry block wall removal, which was completed by hand 3 courses at a time working from the MEWP.

Plant Equipment Used:

•  Mobile Elevated Working Platfor (MEWP) Scissor Lift

• Forked Telehandler

• Excavator

• Skid Steer Loader

• Self-Contained pressure washer for dust supression/standpipe/hose/fine mist water sprayer

• Various handtools including Stihl and reciprocating saws, impact drivers and wrecking bars

Achievements:

Allclear received the following feedback from the client:

"I would like to thank Mark and the team, also the wider Allclear team for a job well done at Lockerbie. This work was so different to what a dairy site normally experiences, but it was conducted in a safe and thoughtful manner throughout. Thank you once again."

Project completed ahead of schedule, within budget and the customer was more extremely happy with the fact the production site was not effected by our works.