ITEM NO: 8
Report To:
STRATEGIC PLANNING AND CAPITAL MONITORING
PANEL
Date:
2 March 2015
Reporting Officer:
Ian Saxon – Assistant Executive Director (Environmental
Services)
Subject:
THE
FORMER
AUDENSHAW
Report Summary:
An update on the remediation project of the contaminated land
on Redmond Close Audenshaw.
Recommendations:
That the content of the report be noted.
Links to Community Strategy:
Safe Environment.
Policy Implications:
There are no policy implications arising from this report.
Financial Implications:
Funding was set aside within the capital programme to
support the purchase and demolition of the 11 properties and
to provide remedial works to one remaining property.
(Authorised by the Borough
Treasurer)
GUIDE
LANE
LANDFILL
SITE,
Costs incurred to date (£1.2m) relate mainly to the acquisition
of the properties.
Future costs are to be incurred on the demolition and
landscaping of the 10 properties acquired (£0.080m), the
remediation of number 22 (£0.140m) and the site investigation
and construction of the gable end of number 22 (£0.045m).
It is anticipated that once the remaining works have been
carried out, the scheme will complete within budget.
Legal Implications:
(Authorised by the Borough
Solicitor)
Governance Arrangements:
(If applicable, the intended
governance arrangements e.g.
Key Decision, Executive
Decision)
Risk Management:
The Council must remediate the contaminated land in
accordance with its statutory duties under the contaminated
land legislation. It has consistently sought to do this by
balancing the best long term outcome for the land in question
with the wishes of those affected. The solution now proposed
offers the next best outcome to total demolition with little extra
cost. In doing so it should ensure that the legal and human
rights of all owners and occupiers are observed and
respected.
An Executive Decision to adopt a Contaminated Land
Remediation Cost Recovery and Hardship policy, a Key
Decision to determine the land as contaminated, a Key
Decision for the Council to offer to purchase the properties
from the current owners and a Key Decision to install an
extraction system have already been made.
The risks are outlined in more detail in the report.
Access to Information:
The background papers can be obtained from the author of
the report, Ian Saxon, Assistant Executive Director
(Environmental Services) by:
Telephone: 0161 342 3470
e-mail: [email protected]
1.0
INTRODUCTION
1.1
On the 23 October 2013, a key decision was made to proceed with the installation of an
engineered solution to remediate numbers 2 to 22 (evens) Redmond Close, following four
residents rejecting the Council’s offer to purchase the properties from them.
1.2
On 17 March 2014 the Strategic Planning and Capital Monitoring Panel and the Executive
Cabinet agreed to the purchase and demolition of number 2 – 20 (evens) Redmond Close,
Audenshaw, in order to remediate the cleared landfill site from contamination, and to
remediate Number 22 Redmond Close, Audenshaw, with an Engineered solution.
2.0
CURRENT SITUATION
2.1
The Council has now acquired 10 of the properties (Numbers 2 – 20 Evens) and the
residents from all these properties have now moved out.
2.2
The residents at Number 22 remain. The residents at Number 22 have always made it
clear to the Council that they do not wish to sell their property.
2.3
The Council is now therefore in a position where it has acceded to the wishes of all owners,
and can resolve the situation by purchase and demolition of ten properties, and the
installation of an engineered solution to the remaining property.
2.4
Tenders for the demolition works have been sought and a contractor has been appointed.
2.5
Tenders for the engineering solution for Number 22 are currently in the process of being
prepared. This has not been finalised as a site investigation is necessary and this can only
be undertaken once a Party Wall Agreement with the owner of number 22 is in place.
2.6
Planning consent was authorised for the demolition of the 10 properties on 22 September
2014.
2.7
An asbestos survey has also been carried out on all the properties and the results show
that HSE ‘Notifiable asbestos’ is present in numbers 10, 12 and 18 Redmond Close. The
notification period expired on the 6 February 2015. The removal of the ‘notifiable asbestos’
was scheduled to be undertaken week commencing 9 February 2015.
2.8
All utility supplies have been disconnected to the 10 empty properties.
2.9
Specialists in Ecology have carried out a bat survey within the properties and have found
evidence of bat activity. Procedures are in place to deal with any bats discovered.
However, a further bat survey will need to be undertaken on number 20 once a Party Wall
Agreement is in place and temperatures are above 5oC.
3.0
DEMOLITION WORK
3.1
Due to the complexity of demolishing half of a semi-detached building (Number 20) whilst
residents are still occupying the other half (Number 22), the decision was taken to demolish
the 9 properties, 2 – 18 first.
3.2
This will allow the ‘grubbing up’ of the concrete floor slabs from underneath all those 9
properties and will provide engineers with a more robust understanding of the foundations
underneath Number 20.
3.3
Site investigations are also due to take place at Number 20 to establish where the suitable
ground is, in order for a new gable wall to be constructed for Number 22. This work can
only be undertaken once a Party Wall Agreement is in place.
3.4
Officers in Estates are currently preparing a Party Wall Agreement. This agreement will
need to be agreed by the residents of Number 22 and their legal representatives. Watts
Group PLC (Building Consultancy) have been appointed to serve the Party Wall Notices on
the adjoining land owner.
3.5
A letter drop to adjoining residents, informing them of the demolition works was undertaken
on the 14 January 2015.
3.6
The demolition contractor took possession of the site on the 19 January 2015. The internal
strip out of the properties was completed on the 30 January 2015. The demolition of
numbers 2 to 6 Redmond Close commenced on the 2 February 2015 and is now complete.
Numbers 8 to 10 are currently being demolished. The demolition work is being undertaken
predominantly from the rear of the properties to minimise disruption.
3.7
Demolition works to properties numbers 2-18 (even) are on programme to be completed by
the 13 March 2015.
3.8
It should be noted that the demolition of No 20 cannot proceed without a Party Wall
Agreement being in place with the owner of no 22 Redmond Close. This agreement is
currently being drafted. A further bat survey of No 20 will also need to be undertaken once
the Party Wall Agreement is in place and temperatures are 5o C and rising.
4.0
REMEDIAL WORKS AT 22 REDMOND CLOSE
4.1
The remediation works to rectify the risk of gas ingress to 22 Redmond Close will require
the retrofitting of a liquid applied membrane to the ground floor area of the property. A gas
venting system will also be installed externally surrounding the property.
4.2
The works to retrofit the gas membrane will be undertaken following the demolition of 20
Redmond Close and the construction of the gable end of 22 Redmond Close. During the
rebuilding of the gable end any wall cavities exposed will be appropriately sealed to ensure
that ground gas cannot enter the property via the newly constructed gable wall.
4.3
Retrofitting the gas membrane to the property will require the removal of interior features
such as kitchen cupboards, appliances and floor coverings so that the floor slab can be
exposed. A liquid applied membrane will be installed across the entire ground floor area
and wall cavities will be sealed.
4.4
A gas venting system will be installed around the perimeter of the property to draw any
ground gas away from the property.
4.5
Once started, the remediation works for Number 22 are expected to take approximately 4-6
weeks and temporary accommodation will be needed for the residents during the
installation of the membrane.
5.0
RISKS
5.1
The risks associated with the site have already been reduced dramatically. As a result of
10 of the 11 properties now being empty, the risks to residents from injury or death caused
by an explosion have been reduced by 91%. Risks are also being reduced as each
property is demolished.
5.2
The risks to residents living on the opposite side of the close have also been reduced as all
the empty properties have now had ventilation bricks put in place in order to stop any buildup of gases within the properties. All the internal doors within the 10 empty properties have
also been taken off in order to allow air to circulate around the houses more freely.
5.3
Once the engineering solution is put in place at Number 22, the combination of gas venting
and retrofitting of the membrane will remove the significant risk of contamination to the
residents of the property and will prevent any gasses from entering the remaining property
and remove any risk of explosion.
5.4
Timescales for the completion of the works are dependent upon reaching agreement with
the owner of number 22 regarding the Party Wall works. Delays in reaching an agreement
will delay completion of the scheme.
5.5
The outcome of the additional bat survey on number 20 may delay the completion of the
project.
6.0
FINANCES
6.1
The overall budget for this project is projected to be £1.8m. £431k of this has been
awarded as capital grant funding from DEFRA, the remaining £1.37m coming from the
Council’s own funds.
6.2
The scheme cost to date, including purchase of the 10 properties is £1,240,376. Revised
figures of remaining spend are set out in the table below:
Demolition of 10 properties and landscape
Remediation of Number 22
Site investigation and construction of gable end for Number 22
Cost
£80,000
£140,000
£45,000
£265,000
6.3
This shows a total spend of £1.51m out of a budget of £1.8m. Whilst there may be some
other unplanned spend required at this moment it is indicating that the project will be
delivered on target. The £0.140m that has been earmarked for the remediation of number
22 is subject to change as the full costs of refurbishment, repairs and replacement fixtures
and fittings cannot be quantified at present.
7.0
CONCLUSIONS
7.1
That the details within this report are noted.
House
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
TOTAL
LR
Purchase
SDLT fee
price
0
43
90000
0
0
67500
0
23
80000
1600
95
160000
1325
95
132500
1400
98
140000
1300
95
130000
0
95
125000
1300
95
130000
0
98
125000
6925 737
1180000