Raynton Road & Meyer Green
A single JCT Intermediate Form contract over three sites to demolish derelict garages and former pram stores, and deliver twenty-two dwellings, being: nineteen houses, and three flats plus associated external works.
Naked House
Customer
Potter Raper
Employers agent
Project value
19 houses and 3 flats for sub-market sale
Size & tenure
Project start
Project end
Sustainability
All properties have Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP) with underfloor heating to the ground floors, and radiators to upper floors.
The windows are composite, with timber inners to achieve a 1.2W/m2K U value, and a powder coated aluminium outer face which is to reduce cyclical maintenance costs.
To comply with the GLA funding criteria the dwellings are all built in masonry construction (timber frame no longer permitted).
Insulation levels were designed to be better than the June 2022 Building Regulations to help with the running costs for tenants.
The development is ‘zero gas’ so reducing the level of CO emissions, and reduces the Clients maintenance costs by saving on annual GasSafe inspections.
Challenges / Solutions
We had to demolish derelict garages and pram stores at Raynton Road with asbestos containing material (ACM) roofs, which were removed by specialist sub-contractors.
The material selection is unique with stack bonded facing blockwork that requires reinforcement and complicated detailing.
The concept is to construct the dwellings in a ‘naked’ form with later adaptation to a final ‘extended’ form with an additional storey to the houses, if and when, the purchaser can afford to undertake the work.
All three sites have severely restricted access. Superstructure materials were manoeuvred after offloading on the road, and distributed between sites due to restricted storage areas.
A high voltage cable needed to be diverted which crossed Meyer Green. We had to locate the cable via trial pits as the record drawings were inaccurate.
Mature trees existed on the site boundaries which required ‘clay master’ to accommodate ground heave.
Party Wall and Party Fence Awards were required on all sites which we assisted the Client’s Party Wall Surveyor to agree with the neighbouring properties.
Lessons Learned
- All three were sites complex, requiring demolition and site remediation. We encountered rubbish left in some of the garages which added time and cost to the demolition phases.We now insist on inspections to all garages / buildings ahead of vacant possession.
- Party Wall Awards could have been dealt with sooner. We always make sure that the Client has made the appointment early.
- The concept design team struggled to complete the Stage 4 design and we had to introduce additional technical and production support to complete the drawings, and to develop the Contractor Design Portion
- The close proximity of existing residential dwellings and restricted access created some tension with neighbours. Ermine now employs a Community Liaison Manager who is site based and has developed the relationship with all stakeholders. We communicated proactively with the residents on both sites and following an initial ‘Meet the Contractor’ event we will keep all stakeholders abreast of the progress via newsletters and regular consultation meetings.