Futura Park Development
Aquila Holdings Limited
13 month
£9m
Ipswich
Location & Overview
Historically, much of the 44-acre site was occupied by a foundry/iron works, evolving into engineering works with chimneys, storage tanks, travelling cranes and railway sidings. Waste disposal had occurred on site, including landfill, lagoon storage and baling/compaction. The site was covered by IPC/IPPC permits for potentially harmful emissions and Water Industry Act Referral. A series of compliance investigations and audits were undertaken during operation and post-closure, circa 2007.
Work, Challenges & Solutions
As Principal Contractor, John F Hunt works included the demolition, remediation and enabling for the redevelopment of the site ready for commercial and retail use by John Lewis and Waitrose.
Notifiable asbestos was removed within most of the buildings, and poor-quality asbestos cement roof sheets were removed from all the buildings using controlled demolition techniques.
Due to the dilapidated state of the majority of structures, caused by vandalism and weather-related damage, there were harmful and toxic materials, including broken asbestos cement sheeting, pigeon droppings and general rubbish, lying over most of the area.
Site-wide remediation and verification under the current ‘Part IIA’ framework were required. Ecological protection works were also necessary to satisfy planning conditions.
Following Local Authority and Environment Agency approval of the Remediation Strategy, earthworks and remediation began under a Materials Management Plan and Mobile Treatment Plant Licence, starting with the John Lewis/Waitrose plot followed by the road, footpath, and planting areas.
Achievements
The John Lewis/Waitrose site remediation was completed, approved by regulators, and handed over to the building contractor on deadline.
Road and infrastructure construction was completed on time, ready for the John Lewis/Waitrose store to open.