PJA monitored the site reclamation and demolition works on this site in the centre of Stafford.
Until recently, the site was a factory and associated office buildings, and included a disused sewage treatment works, a vacant residential property, a Cadent gas compound and two historical landfills. The site is proposed as a mixed scheme of housing, local retail, public open space, landscaping and other associated infrastructure.
PJA has worked alongside the client to identify the key development constraints at the site to optimise the potential development at the site. By working as part of a wider professional team, PJA considered various technical disciplines that affect the site including flooding, ground levels, contaminated land, ground conditions, transport and access, ecology, arboricultural issues, archaeology and utilities. Working together with the professional team during both planning and design stages, all works have been designed to allow for an integrated approach to drive the site development forwards.
As part of the redevelopment, ground conditions at the site have been reviewed by a series of ground investigation works and assessments to determine viability of future development. Given the historical land uses at the site, the risk to the surrounding surface water network, underlying aquifers and proposed future site users was considered during all design works.
A public foul drain was identified to pass through the site, with incomplete records on the exact location. Using a combination of geophysical surveying and hand-dug pits, the rising main was located and surveyed to determine future development layouts and to inform the ongoing demolition works.
Due to the surrounding surface water network, parts of the site are located within a flood zone. Works have been undertaken to assess the flood risk at the site and a drainage strategy was developed.
Access and transport planning issues were considered at the site, and comments incorporated in recent planning application works.
PJA is involved in the future highways design, drainage engineering, potential remediation works and earthworks, and future ground engineering design works as the project progresses.
A key aspect of the works was the assessment of the historical landfills. Following an intrusive site investigation including gas monitoring, PJA undertook a viability assessment to determine the development potential of the landfill areas.
