Oval Village, Phase 1 - Tesco, London
Location Icon London, UK
  • Client
    St. Edward (part of the Berkeley Homes Group)
  • Date
    2018/2019
  • Role
    Demolition Consultant and CDM Advisor
  • Team
    Stephen McCann
The Site

We worked for St. Edward (part of the Berkeley Homes Group) to demolish the former Tesco superstore and surrounding structures which made up phase-1 of the Oval Village redevelopment site.

This project involved the demolition of a former Tesco Superstore and Axis building, the removal of associated hard standings, and the design and installation of a piling mat.

The structural makeup for the Tesco building on Kennington Lane consisted of a heavy steel frame, which was externally clad with insulation composite panels. This structure was abnormally strong with a reinforced steel frame, which had been designed to withstand an explosive blast had the neighbouring gas holders breached.

A large steel cantilever atrium entrance section proved to be an area of concern and was the subject of several on-site discussions and planning meetings as the canopy oversailed the public footpath.

The axis structure on Vauxhall Street consisted of a concrete frame, a brick-clad building which was listed as a World War 2 blitz strike zone; the reduced level dig was a significant operation and due to this issue, the site staff was given special Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) awareness training to help identify any potential UXO.

The demolition methods were a mixture of piecemeal method, hot-work preparation and progressive fragmentation using a demolition rig from a safe working distance, clearing, and processing the arising demolition materials; reducing level dig, and clearing the site to a clean and level finish.

Site overview video:

Our Scope

We were appointed as the demolition consultants for the project and took over the role of CDM Advisor for the demolition phase. We first had to check the content of the Pre-Construction Information (PCI) documents supplied by the Principal Designer and offered feedback on the documents and assisted in the development to ensure it was specific for the demolition phase before distributing them to the contractors.

We attended pre-appointment tender bid meetings with the client and provided feedback on the tendering contractors to rank the bidders solely based on the quality of the submissions to ensure the best contractor was selected.

Once the contractor’s Construction Phase Plan (CPP) was completed, we were tasked with reviewing the plan and the Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS) for the project, and continually commenting on the revisions and updates of both sets of documents.

Throughout the works, we carried out monthly audits, which were planned to coincide with the specific phases of the project, which included specific environmental audits, CDM compliance audits, and process-specific demolition audits.

What we did
  • Produce the Pre-Construction Information.
  • Produce the Designer Key Hazards.
  • Carry out a Pre-Demolition BREEAM survey.
  • Consult on the tender list.
  • Attend the bid meetings and provide feedback on the submissions.
  • Review and comment on the Construction Phase Plan and issue a report.
  • Review and comment on the Risk Assessments and Method Statement and issue a report.
  • Review and comment on the asbestos Plan of Works and issue a report.
  • Carry out the pre-start site audit and issue a report.
  • Carry out monthly site audits and issue a report on the progress.
  • Carry out the completion site audit and issue a report.
  • Ensure the completion of the Health & Safety File.

Need some health and safety advice?

Book a free no-obligation consultation with one of our Health & Safety consultants today

Get in Touch