Wheatridge Farm

Our brief

Lithos were asked to prepare an Earthworks Specification and Materials Management Plan for Miller Homes’ new residential development site at Wheatridge Farm in Seaton Delaval.  Ground levels needed to be raised by up to approximately 2m across much of the site to facilitate the new development, and this required importation of approximately 40,000m³ of fill.  This fill was to be sourced from 4 of Miller Homes’ other development sites, located in Newcastle Upon Tyne, Gateshead and Durham.

Site history and characteristics

The Seaton Delaval site comprised gently sloping rough overgrown agricultural grassland, occupying an area of approximately 7 hectares.  A low spot on the site was liable to ponding water.

What we did

Lithos prepared an Earthworks Specification providing guidance on preparatory groundworks, acceptable fill material types, methods of compaction and geotechnical performance criteria to be achieved.  The Specification also provided guidance on the Environmental Permitting Regulations and on acceptable chemical criteria for imported soils.

Lithos reviewed the available site investigation reports for the 4 proposed source sites, inspected the proposed fill materials at source and commissioned sufficient additional geotechnical and chemical laboratory testing to demonstrate the source materials’ suitability for use.  Lithos also produce a Materials Management Plan to allow soil importation under the CL:AIRE Development Industry Code of Practice (“The Definition of Waste”, Version 2, March 2011).

The outcome

Our Materials Management Plan was audited by the Environment Agency in November and December 2016, as part of their Waste Soils Campaign.  The EA reported that, “There were no non-compliance issues noted, the record keeping was also well-managed, complete and accurate.  Duty of care is understood and followed correctly”.