Structural | Civil | Engineering | Social and Affordable Housing | Commercial | Drainage | Residential | Subsidence | Highway Design

Broughton Parcel E, Milton Keynes

Description

Construction of 67 social house and flats on land fill site adjacent to great crested newt breeding grounds.

Client

Avebury International

Value

£7,000,000

• Whilst being a relatively conventional residential development, the environmental requirements to develop this site were challenging. The surface water strategy had to consider and comply with a DEFRA licence, in particular with respect to protecting the adjacent wet land which is the breeding habitat for great crested newts. This was achieved by utilising/maintaining the green field surface water runoff from the development to replenish the wetlands. The sustainable drainage techniques included an interlinked network of permeable paving, swales and cellular soakaways.

• Adopted highway discharges directly into adjacent swales in order to avoid the use of trapped gullies that are potential traps for unwary newts! Cranfield Institute undertook a detailed Hydrological report for the whole area and identified the importance of not upsetting the hydrology of the site by the introduction of large impermeable areas.

• The site was also a former landfill tip for spoil generated by the construction of Milton Keynes and therefore required a piled foundation solution and measures to deal with methane gas.

Scope of works

• Sewer adoptions and diversions (Section 104/116 Water Industry Act 1991).
• Road adoption (Section 38 Highways Act 1980).
• Eco Homes Compliance.
• Private drainage and road design.