THE road to Wembley is being paved by a Huddersfield firm.
While delays continue to dog the construction of Wembley Stadium, Birkby-based stone products company Marshalls is making good progress in its major role in the multi-million pound scheme.
Marshalls won a string of contracts to provide stone paving, seats and lighting for the walkways and open areas around the stadium.
It is also supplying items for the neighbouring Wembley Arena, as well as an adjoining retail park, access roads and bridges, Wembley Park tube station and the stadium railway station.
And the firm is involved in improvements to Wembley town centre as part of an ambitious regeneration project led by Brent Council.
The value of the contracts has not been disclosed.
Marshalls spokesman Jeremy Swallow said: "The depth and diversity of our products has led to the company being involved in seven schemes under the project for Wembley Stadium and associated developments.
"All these schemes will play a key role in how the new stadium is perceived."
Marshalls have worked with Brent Council, architects and contractors to provide paving and street furniture, such as seating and railings. The company has also supplied concrete setts for Wembley Plaza, the area linking the new stadium to Wembley Arena.
At Wembley Park station Marshalls have provided natural stone setts, while subsidiary Woodhouse has supplied lamp-posts.
Marshalls have also supplied silver- grey granite paving and seating for Wembley High Road, one of the two routes to the stadium from the Tube station.
The firm is supplying stainless steel railings for the north and south footbridges to the stadium.
Granite setts from Marshalls have also been specified for Wembley Retail Park.
Mr Swallow aid: "Wembley Stadium will make all the headlines.
"But the use of Marshalls products throughout provides design continuity and a pleasing appearance that will help begin the whole new Wembley experience - a place the whole world knows about.
"The delays involving the stadium have not affected our work.
"We have completed several of the contracts and our contractors are making good progress on the others."
Marshalls, which dates back to the 1880s, is the UK's leading maker of high-quality natural stone and concrete products for drives, patios and paths.
It employs about 3,000 people and has 12 premises across the UK, including its head office at Birkby, premises at Lowfields, Elland, and quarries at Shepley.
Marshalls have won many major contracts over the years.
The company has supplied Yorkstone paving for Trafalgar Square, Somerset House and the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Among recent contracts it provided paving, setts and kerbs for the £3.8m Humber Quays scheme for offices, flats and a hotel in Hull.
* With 90,000 seats the new Wembley will be the largest football stadium in the world with every seat under cover
* The stadium roof rises to 52 metres above the pitch. This compares to the 35 metres tall Twin Towers of the old stadium
* The new Wembley has a circumference of one kilometre
* The rows of seating, if placed end to end, would stretch 54 kilometres
* The Wembley Arch, with a span of 315 metres, is the world's longest single-span roof structure
