32 PROJECT REPORT: ICF BUILD
yet close access to the A3. Sitting on the site was a dilapidated Victorian cottage, with “no architectural merit,” says Hall, and in purchasing it they knew that demolition would be one of the first tasks.
Revealing legacy It wasn’t long after purchasing the plot that Hall and Johnson discovered a major issue with the land. Not far down the road there had once been a gunpowder factory, built during the 1600s and still in production during the First World War. Resulting pollution had led to significant contamination of the soil over the years. Although they discovered this early on, it was a major setback, but rather than panic, Hall says they sat down to calmly resolve the problem.
The planning department’s officer responsible gave them two choices – install a membrane throughout the site, or strip the ground back to the virgin clay. While the latter meant pushing back the schedule and adding costs, they decided it was something they had to do. Hall put himself in the position of potential buyers: “If this was going to be me living there with my family I wouldn’t want there to be any
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possibility of soil contamination.” They removed all the contaminated soil, replacing it with clean subsoil.
Getting planning
The overall goal was two generously-sized, desirable family homes, “not just 12-metre boxes for five people,” says Rik. The first plan they submitted was supported by the planning department, however a tree protection order (TPO) was in force on the neighbouring property, so the design had to be checked by a tree preservation officer, causing more delays.
Hall believed he had addressed the TPO in the initial plan, but the officer wasn’t content, and was minded to refuse the submitted plan based on the root protection area required. Rik and Matt tried to show that their design would not contravene the restrictions, but the council insisted they redraw the plans. Despite this, they worked alongside the officer on the redesign, and eventually both parties were satisfied. As a result, one of the homes is smaller than the other, with the rear extension needing to be set back due to the TPO. “We had to take this on the chin,” Hall ruefully says.
ADF JUNE 2021
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