Project Overview
This scheme enabled a 50 hectare (124 acres) residential and industrial development in Hinckley, Leicestershire by developing viable solutions for the site remediation and infrastructure. The site will accommodate 345 new homes, along with leisure, retail and commercial facilities.
The site required extensive early investigations to inform the land, infrastructure and environmental solutions and numerous consents from statutory authorities. Close liaison with a significant number of stakeholders including Network Rail, the Canal and Rivers Trust, and the Environment Agency were therefore critical to this scheme.
The scheme required the substantial remediation of 224,000m3 of material from contaminated ground and groundwater on this brownfield site. The infilling and modification of reservoirs and ponds then created developable land and improved landscaping.
There were two areas of known heavy contamination totalling 14 hectares: the former Johnsons Apparel Master Dry Cleaning site and the Nelson Burgess manufacturing works.
Site contamination issues included asbestos, ash and TPH in several soil hotspot areas associated with the manufacturing facility, and major areas of wider solvent contamination and breakdown products associated with the previous industrial activities.
We developed the remediation strategy that, combined with the earthworks model and our rigorous in-situ inspection and testing programme, delivered a robust solution for asbestos containing materials, reducing initial cost budgets by over £1M.
Significant vegetation clearance was carried out, predominantly of trees and scrubland. A range of ecological protection measures were required including passive habitat mitigation for water voles, badger sett closure under licence and secure exclusion zones around protected trees. The scheme delivered ecological enhancements, including substantial improvements and habitat creation in the existing watercourse, in the opening up of the Sketchley Brook.
The Environment Agency sought an exemplar scheme to maximising the habitat potential of the new brook alignment. Its requirements included riffles, meanders, pools, erosion protection measures for a scheme with extensive environmental enhancement features that offered a range of aquatic habitats in the varying channel flows created.