Project Brief
The client required a turnkey delivery of a multi-use garden centre development. This included the excavation and remodelling of 200,000 tonnes of spoil to create development platforms, along with solutions to overcome poor ground conditions caused by historic quarry backfill. A fully self-contained sustainable drainage system was essential, and the scheme also demanded a strong environmental focus, with minimal waste, reduced imports, and no unnecessary off-site disposal.
Our Approach
To meet these challenges, TJ Atkin Ltd deployed screening and crushing equipment throughout the enabling works, allowing all inert material to be recycled and reused for building substructures, car parks, and landscaping. This achieved zero spoil disposal off site, delivering both environmental and cost-saving benefits.
Given the poor ground conditions, more than 3,000 vibro-replacement piles, each 9 metres deep, were installed to stabilise the variable fill. Our team worked closely with engineers to ensure precise pile locations and settlement performance.
A sustainable drainage system was created by constructing 7,000 m³ of soakaways, some excavated to depths of 9 metres, ensuring all surface water could be managed within the site itself. Precision earthworks were delivered using GPS-enabled excavators, allowing accurate control of the 200,000 tonnes of spoil, reducing double handling, and ensuring design intent was achieved efficiently.
Throughout the programme, TJ Atkin Ltd coordinated multiple subcontractors, overseeing civil engineering, piling, drainage, landscaping, and building trades. The existing driving range building was repurposed into office and retail units, and the client was handed a fully functional, turnkey facility on completion.
Outcome
The project successfully transformed a challenging brownfield site into a high-quality garden centre and leisure destination. By maximising on-site material reuse and adopting sustainable construction methods, TJ Atkin Ltd delivered measurable benefits: no inert spoil left site, imports and exports were significantly reduced, complex ground and drainage issues were resolved, and the client received a complete, multi-purpose development delivered to specification.
