Programming students create app for pumping station

Level 3 Programming and App Development students at Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC) are currently working on an exciting live brief to create a mobile app for Claymills Victorian Pumping Station that interprets the attraction’s exhibits for visitors.

Claymills Victorian Pumping Station on Meadow Lane in Stretton, Burton upon Trent is a former steam-powered sewage pumping station which was designed by James Mansergh, consulting engineer to Burton upon Trent Borough Council.

Burton upon Trent struggled with sewage disposal in the mid-1880s more than any other town or city in Britain, due to the large number of breweries within the area. The brewing processes led to an increasingly foul-smelling River Trent, and something needed to be done to resolve the issue. The pumping station was therefore built between 1884 and 1886 to pump the waste to the nearby sewage farm located in Egginton.

To this day, The Claymills Victorian Pumping Station is the most complete Victorian pumping station in Britain and a popular tourist attraction for those looking to explore Victorian engineering and history. The pumping station is now looking to enhance the experience of its visitors by replacing its traditional printed signage with a mobile app, bringing the historical building to life and into the digital world.

Claymills Victorian Pumping Station has briefed the students on their requirements for the app, including that it must provide a tailored experience to a range of visitors who are interested in different levels of detail as they visit each area of the attraction. Whether visitors are looking for in-depth, technical details of the steam engines, are more interested in the social history of Victorian working conditions, or if they are simply looking for a family day out, the app needs to provide them with an informative and quality experience.

Neil Parker, Level 3 Programming and App Development Course Leader at BSDC commented: “This is a fantastic project for the students get involved in. Not only are they getting to work on a real life brief for a client, but they’re also getting to show off their programming skills.

“Real life briefs such as this provide students with fantastic opportunities to experience challenges that they may come across in their future careers, giving them a taste of the real working world and ensuring they are job ready.”

Burton and South Derbyshire College has a range of computing courses available for those who have a flair for technology, including programming, cyber security and general IT. To see the courses available and to apply, go to www.bsdc.ac.uk.