Cawarden clears and remediates an extensive brownfield site on the edge of Derbyshire to bring new homes scheme to fruition.

The project aimed to create a high-quality living environment to enhance an existing low-quality brownfield site, whilst preserving the landscape qualities around the site.

As the Principal Contractor, Cawarden was employed to deliver the demolition and clearance of the former Derwentside Industrial Estate which sprawled across 15-acres. The work also involved asbestos removal, site remediation and reconfiguration to make the site safe and prepare for construction works.

We removed all licensed and non-licensed asbestos materials and completed an internal soft strip of all buildings before undertaking the demolition works. This helped to maximise the segregation of waste materials.

With some buildings reaching up to 5-storeys high, and the majority of the former foundry buildings being steel-framed, the demolition methodology was controlled and used excavators to safely complete the works. All floor slabs, foundations and other hardstanding across the site were raised – including several large retaining walls. Underground and above-ground tanks were safely decommissioned, excavated and disposed of.

We processed and crushed all hard-core materials to 6f2 to stockpile for reuse in the future redevelopment works.

To complete the project, we removed all contaminants found within the grounds – including asbestos and coal tar. Japanese Knotweed identified within the site boundary was excavated and safely disposed of.

The site was finally finished to the required levels in readiness for the housebuilder to move in!