Client: Taylor Wimpey North East
Location: South Shields, South Tyneside
Contract Value: £14.3 million
Contract Period: 2005 – 2012
This large development site was situated over an area of 17 hectares comprising the old Westoe Colliery. The site was designated as a brown field site with extensive contamination. This development can be summarised as follows:
Enabling Works
The ground was contaminated with hydrocarbons and heavy metals which required two separate methods of remediation to seal off the contaminated ground. The contaminated material was placed under tarmac surfaced areas as part of the earthworks strategy. The whole site was constructed with a gas venting system consisting of one meter deep single size gravel with grid type venting covers covertly situated in landscaped areas along with bollards which doubled up as chimney vents.
The existing site had areas with reusable clay and topsoil present. The earthworks remodeling involved a high engineering input to economically manage the excavation and storage of a large quantity of material prior to its eventual reuse.
Building
- Mix of 780 houses, flats and bungalows constructed on pile and deep fill concrete foundations complete with gas proof membranes
- Various shops
- 700 pupil school comprising of a Crèche, Infant and Junior School
- Health centre and doctors surgery
- Waste collection area
Highways and Traffic Management
- New bus route constructed through village necessitating new road construction and junction improvements where new road linked to existing highways. 278 element and alterations to existing bus route
- Management of traffic management design and phasing for 278 works
- New cycle route which forms part of the coast to coast cycle route
- New roundabout constructed in centre of the development with a park area constructed in the middle
- Car parking areas created with porous materials and underground storage tanks which significantly reduced storm water run off
- 8,000m of road construction and footways
Drainage
- Installation of 800m of storage pipework (1500mmø) and a further 7,000m of various diameter foul and storm drainage pipework
- Pipework had Hydrocarbon resistant Nitrile rings installed due to the risks associated with contaminated ground
- Eco surface water drainage system which allowed surface water to be collected in a large geotextile lined pit which acts as a soak away letting the water back into the ground. Any water that would not filter away was piped into the storm water system via a Hydrobrake to minimize impact to the existing drainage system.
Public Realm
- Most of the roads and footpath areas were paved with a mixture of block paving and tegula setts.The total area covered by these works was in excess of 45,000m²
- Pocket parks were created around the site with walkthrough areas
- Tree lined walkways to all new streets
Street lighting and street furniture
- Over 250 lighting columns were erected on the scheme which generally comprised ornamental olde world columns and lanterns to match surroundings
- The works consisted of the installation of over 100 bench seats and over 400 tree grills throughout the site
Services
- Utilities – There was an existing electric substation on site that fed the old Westoe Colliery which had numerous uncharted cables running across the site. We managed the location and diversion of numerous services in phases to suit ongoing new infrastructure works programme.
- Installation of 4,000m of utility services
Environmental
The existing site had huge quantities of waste colliery shale spread over the site.Part of our earthworks strategy involved the testing and classification as acceptable fill under road and car park areas. The shale could not be used in the winter months due to the high moisture levels which prevented the specified compaction requirements. Our earthworks strategy and modeling enabled over 75% of the existing waste shale to be used in the works saving on waste disposal and the importation of quarried material.
Programme
- Significant design changes throughout the contract period which required flexibility and programme control to still meet clients rigid completion dates.
- The programme adhered to strict client yearly phase completions
- Groups of 7-9 plots had client constraints for completion within 3 weeks
