The former commercial depot and large brownfield site on Mile Cross Road in Norwich is set to be transformed by hundreds of new homes over the next few years.
Before homes can start to take shape, the land must first be examined to determine its contents and condition.
This is particularly important given the site’s history as a disposal site of building rubble following the famous Baedeker raids in Norwich during WWII and its more recent use as a commercial depot.
Examination of the land has included recent work to dig trial pits which will help determine the scale and type of contamination in the ground. It also provides information about the ground conditions to help develop the next stages of engineering tasks.
The work was carried out by Anglian Demolition who excavated four trial pits, removing the materials inside and leaving the excavated ground materials beside each pit. A trommel was also used to filter hard rubble materials into one pile and the softer materials into another. The rubble, such as concrete, bricks, tiles, was crushed so that it could be reused as foundations for new roads on the site and at other sites such as the Threescore Phase 3 housing development in Bowthorpe, or alternatively as part of remediation work.
The next stage is to carry out the remediation work, this will include treating contaminated groundwater by removing the pollutants or converting them into harmless products.
Norwich City Council took the decision to demolish the depot several years ago and since then the site has stood empty and derelict.
The development is set to deliver over 150 new properties which will be managed through the council’s home options scheme.
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