Baysgarth School in North Lincolnshire is accelerating its vision to build its own racetrack to support the school’s design, technology and engineering programmes.

The school has the support of RSK Group, a global leader in the delivery of environmental and engineering solutions, with the business carrying out the environmental assessments required to secure the necessary planning permission. The racetrack will provide the space for GCSE design, technology and engineering students to test drive the Greenpower kit cars they design and build as part of the course.

RSK Environment Principal Environmental and Consents Manager Moya Rowland, whose daughter and son undertook the programme when they were pupils at Baysgarth, said that the project will have a transformational impact on student experiences and has already provided valuable opportunities for them to be involved in the build process.

Moya said:

“Technical surveys are an important part of any development project and provide the council with the information it needs to grant planning approval. RSK Group has supported the school in delivering a suite of environmental assessments by specialists across the business. These include noise assessment (RSK Acoustics), flood risk assessment (RSK LDE), environmental statement and project management (RSK Environment), biodiversity assessments (RSK Wilding), foul sewerage, drainage, utilities and surface water assessments (RSK LDE), land contamination report (RSK Geosciences), ecological assessments including bat and tree surveys (RSK Biocensus) and ground investigations (RSK Geosciences).

“Without these surveys the planning application would not have been able to proceed and the local council would have been unable to approve the application. I have seen how much of a positive impact this programme has on students: it instils confidence and skills they wouldn’t gain anywhere else. The track will prove to be a real community asset.”

The site of the proposed racetrack is a greenfield area and therefore the impact of replacing grassland with hardstanding needs to be considered.

Moya said:

“The track is being made with recycled materials, including a lower composite tarmac covering that utilises recycled plastics instead of a high concentration of bitumen. As part of the project, students at the school have been collecting plastics to enter into the local recycling waste stream, as well as utilising these materials to make the bodywork for the cars and products to sell at fundraising events, such as recycled plastic jewellery.”

In previous years, students have travelled to Blyton Park race track to test their designs. Baysgarth School STEM Coordinator and project lead for the race track Andrew Browne said the students are increasingly environmentally conscious and see the new test track as an opportunity to further improve the environmental footprint of their designs.

“Many of the students are particularly interested in the programme because of the opportunity to design and build an all-electric car. Being supplied with just the electric engine and frame by Greenpower, the design element gives them full control of the materials used, and many go litter picking to retrieve discarded plastics to recycle into the bodywork.”

Reflecting on the impact of the project, Andrew said:

“The Baysgarth test track is set to be more than just a testing circuit – it’s a dynamic, multilayered investment in STEM education, regional workforce development catering for the local labour market, sustainability and community health through active lifestyles. By linking classroom theory with applied engineering, recycling innovation and local industry, Baysgarth is creating a tangible STEM legacy that extends well beyond its school gates across the Lincolnshire and Yorkshire regions.

“We would like to extend our sincere thanks to RSK for its exceptional support and professionalism in conducting the recent land surveys. The team’s expertise and attention to detail have significantly enhanced the quality and progress of our work, providing us with the accurate insights needed to move forward with confidence. We greatly value RSK’s contribution and look forward to continued collaboration.”