Case Study
Indio Fields, Bovey Tracey
Full Residential Groundworks for Strongvox Homes
When Strongvox Homes needed a new groundworks contractor for their Indio Fields development in Bovey Tracey, they brought in JMJ Groundworks to take over the package and get the programme back on track.
The previous contractor had already started on site. That meant our first job was getting to grips with what had been built so far, putting right anything that needed fixing and then driving the remaining works forward. Over roughly 12 months, we delivered the full groundworks package for all 24 homes, from foundations and plot drainage through to roads, sewers and hard landscaping.
It was our first full groundworks package for Strongvox, and it’s become the start of a working relationship that’s still going today.
Project Overview
Client
Strongvox Homes
Project
Indio Fields, a 24-home residential development
Location
Bovey Tracey, Devon
Duration
12 Months
Services
Full residential groundworks: foundations, drainage, roads and sewers, attenuation and external works
Scope of Work
We provided the labour, supervision and plant for the full groundworks package, with materials supplied by Strongvox. Depending on the stage of the build, we had between 8 and 14 operatives on site. They were supported by our 3-tonne, 8-tonne and 13-tonne excavators.
Our works covered:
- Foundations for all 24 plots
- Plot drainage
- Roads and sewers
- Service infrastructure
- A large attenuation tank with an associated flow-control system
- Kerbing and paving
- Driveways
- External works and hard landscaping
Taking on the whole package meant Strongvox had one groundworks team responsible for everything below ground and around the homes. That kept coordination simple for the site team.
Project Challenges
Indio Fields wasn't a straightforward site. The development sits alongside existing lakes and is surrounded by mature trees, both of which shaped how we had to work.
Through the winter, high groundwater levels and long spells of wet weather left parts of the site extremely soft and boggy. Excavations, plant movements and access all had to be planned around ground that changed week to week.
The mature trees brought strict protection requirements. We had to carefully manage where machinery could travel, where we could dig and how materials moved around the site, all without holding up the build.
On top of that, we were stepping into a package someone else had started. Before pushing on, we had to assess the existing works, identify any issues and put them right. Only then could we fit the remaining groundworks into Strongvox’s wider construction programme.
Delivery
Once we were established on site, we kept a consistent team in place throughout the project. Having the same operatives and supervision from week to week meant the site team always knew who they were dealing with, and problems got solved quickly rather than passed around.
We worked closely with Strongvox to keep the programme moving. That meant adapting our approach when the winter weather turned the ground soft, and working carefully around the protected trees without letting progress stall.
Despite the ground conditions and the extra work involved in taking over an existing package, we hit the required programme dates and saw the groundworks through to completion.
Results
Indio Fields In Bovey Tracey was completed successfully, with all 24 homes sold.
For us, it proved we could take full responsibility for a complete residential groundworks package, including stepping in mid-project when a developer needs a change of contractor and getting the works back on track.
Strongvox were pleased with how the JMJ team performed. The project led to further work on several of their developments, and we’ve recently started another Strongvox project at West Hill, Exeter.
It’s a good example of how we like to work with developers. We bring the labour, plant and experience to deliver the physical works, then work closely with the site team to keep the programme on track and get the development finished.
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