This was a development comprising a single detached dwelling. The site had been developed previously for residential use.

Demolition of the former dwelling had been completed, the original garage was still standing, to be demolished at a later stage.

The draft phase 1 report was issued ten working days after receipt of instruction and the final report two working days later on receipt of final comments.

This mixed residential and commercial development comprised the conversion of a number of existing farm buildings. Staddlestone Barn and Long Barn were converted to form two dwellings and the Hayloft Barn was converted to form office accommodation. Associated landscaping and parking was provided, open “cart shed” garaging was erected and site entrances reconfigured.

Because of the past usage and proposed residential use a phase one environmental report and site walk over were undertaken. The potential for some site contamination was confirmed and an area of potentially contaminated fill material was also identified during the site walk over.

An intrusive phase two investigation was therefore commissioned comprising general sampling across the site and targeted sampling of the “fill” material. Contamination of the fill material was confirmed and a simple remediation strategy in the form of a barrier between the material and site users was developed and implemented.

One of the general samples from a proposed garden area showed elevated levels of lead.

In order to avoid unnecessary soil removal further testing was undertaken in this area for lead.

None of the additional samples had elevated lead and it was concluded that the one isolated exceedance  of soil guideline criteria did not constitute a significant risk to human health and therefore no remediation was required.

Our brief was to provide a phase 1 environmental report and a flood risk assessment.

The site comprises the former British Legion building with its small service yards along Arklow Road. The site is in close proximity to a railway viaduct with immediate context made up of public open space, industrial and residential usage.

The development comprisec 26 apartments distributed over a  block ranging from four to five storeys and including 348m² ground floor commercial floorspace. Associated with these are amenity roof terraces and balconies, together with car parking and cycle storage.

The Flood Risk Assessment found that the site lies within the flood plain of the River Thames but benefits from flood defences. There is a residual risk of flooding at the site due to the possibility of either over topping or a breach of the River Thames defences. In the FRA it was demonstrated that there was no significant risk posed to public health and safety by the proposed development.

There were concerns about possible contamination of the site by hydrocarbons from the adjacent vehicle repair workshop.

In order to comply with the tight timescale we:

visited site,

dug trial pits,

installed boreholes with gas monitors,

collected and tested contamination samples

and issued our report less than one week after receipt of instruction.

This scheme involved the development of 58 units of one and two bedroom flats with the provision of two disabled units, all timber frame construction. Thirty-one of the units are for shared ownership with the balance being for affordable general needs housing.

Demolition of the public house which had occupied the site had been undertaken and a spoil bund placed around the site perimeter, subsequently fly tipping had occurred.

A review of the original site investigation showed that there was contamination of the site with heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. An initial site visit identified the presence of asbestos fragments and also Japanese Knotweed.

Testing was undertaken across the site to determine the extent of soil contamination and thereby minimise the amount of material removed to landfill. A thorough survey of Japanese Knotweed on site was undertaken, it was established that this was located in the spoil bund and the contaminated stretches were identified and removed to landfill, timescales did not permit on site treatment. Verification testing was undertaken and after sampling the imported topsoil a concluding verification report was prepared confirming the suitability of the site for the proposed use. The scheme was handed over on 24 July 2006 and subsequently won ‘Housing Project of the Year’ by Builder and Engineering Magazine.