Oxted Gasholder - Courtyard Gardens January 2020

A model of the development from the Station Road East entrance. On the far right is Block A with adjoining Block B to the left and Block C front left, sitting in beautifully landscaped gardens. Access to Blocks A and B are via the current Station Road East entrance whilst Block C is accessed independently via the Johnsdale entrance.

My first visit of 2020 to the Oxted Courtyard Gardens development site took place on Friday 24 January on an overcast day. A lot had changed since my last visit back in early December when the piling was nearing completion and the second tower crane was about to be installed. Although the site was closed for two weeks over the Christmas break I did notice a significant change, read on to find out more.

The following photographs all have captions on top to tell you more about the procedures in place for the 111 high-quality apartments.

The foundations for the underground car park at the back of the shops in Station Road East where Block A is located.

The two tower cranes used for moving materials from the furthest points on site.

The piling completed for Block A with the pile caps visible.

Some of the pile caps for Block A. This will form a pillar in the underground car park.

A view of where the steel cages are made and where Block B will be located

The second tower crane was installed in a day, the preparation to install the base took two weeks. The two piling rigs are no longer on-site as all the pilling is complete.

Making the cages that form the pile caps.

Finished cages.

This is blog number 13, just a brief recap in case you haven’t been following them.

I started writing my blogs in January 2019 when the demolition of the gasholder - which was previously on the site for over 50 years - commenced as a personal project for posterity. I have a long and deep connection with Oxted as my studio in Station Road East, which I moved away from in August 2019 after 23 years, backed onto the site, and ever since I took the lease on the premises at the end of 1996 I heard about how the gasholder site may one day be developed and I was not going to miss the opportunity to photographically document this, which has become a fascinating and enlightening project.

During each of my site visits, I always learn more about the construction process and all the skills that are employed along the way to ensure everything complies with building regulations, health and safety, and all the other regulations to monitor the air quality and vibrations to name only a few.

The development will be completed at the end of Summer 2021 and the show apartment will be ready for viewing this Summer with over 50% of the apartments already sold.

This mobile concrete pump was hired for the day to assist with depositing large quantities of concrete via a long arm into the base of Block C.

The concrete is poured via this arm into a cage to form a pile cap under Block C.

The concrete is poured into a cage to form a pile cap under Block C.

The foundations of the underground car park of Block C.

Foundations in place for Block A showing the piling caps.

Steel cages are constructed on site, and are surrounded underground by concrete to form a pile cap.

The two cranes are used to move objects from one part of the site to the other with ease and precision.

A view looking up to where Block A will sit, the portacabins will be relocated down the site as the development progresses.

The underground car park of Block C.

The pile cap, the bars poking out the top are column starter bars. The blue columns are dewatering wells to assist with the ground water levels.

Another angle of the development from the left of the Johnsdale entrance, the apartments are behind Station Road East, clearly showing Block C on the right with Block B on the left with Block A adjoining it. All the apartments are being built with underground allocated parking.

My previous blog showed the finishing of the base for this crane to be installed.

The foundations have to be immensely strong to support the tower crane, especially as the site is exposed to harsh winds and the elements.

The two tower cranes work together to save time moving materials accross the site.

Look towards Block A with the foundations completed.

A view from the portacabins towards Block C showing the arm from the concrete pump depositing to the base concrete.

The underground car parks for Block C on the left and Block B far right.

A view from behind the flats at the bottom of Station Road East shows another angle of Block C.

On the far left showing the entrance to Block C, behind the houses in Johnsdale.

A view of the site from the Johnsdale entrance showing Block C on the right and Block B on the left with Block A adjoining Block B. All 111 high-quality apartments enjoy a private outside space.

There are two separate entrances to the development. Blocks A and B via the current Station Road East entrance and Block C via the current Johnsdale entrance, there is no cross over point between Block C to Blocks A and B due to the different levels. The landscaped gardens are communal.

Inside Robert Leech Estate Agents.

If you would like to find out more about purchasing one or just to satisfy your curiosity, call into Robert Leech Estate Agents on Station Road East, you’ll also get to see the model of the development, they are very friendly in there, just ask to speak to Suzanne Buck from the St William Group or her colleague Geraldine Nightingale both assigned to the development.

That’s all for now, I’ll be back again next month with my February site visit.

Thanks for reading.

Stella

Oxted Gasholder - Courtyard Gardens Build - May 2019

Welcome to my fifth blog about the construction process of Courtyard Gardens on the former gasholder site here in Oxted.

For those of you who live nearby and are regular readers of my blogs you will know that the gasholder no longer exists and during the past few weeks the building works have started to take shape.

The demolition of the gasholder and clearing of the site is complete ready for the building process to commence, this photograph is how the site looked on 15 April 2019.

St William, who specialise in redeveloping redundant gas holder sites across London and the South East has now taken over as principal contractor. The project team have now moved to the site and into the new cabins during the building process.

Friday 17th May was my first time back on site since the demolition came to an end last month and it felt like I was somewhere familiar but unfamiliar at the same time. I could see and feel the layout changing, the ground felt different, there were new faces on site, new machinery and the access areas were different and the two-storey cabins were a hive of activity.

I could really get a strong feel for the size of the land and the vastness of the build and the works that have to be done to accommodate the three blocks that will combine to make the final housing development, delivering 111 one, two and three bedroom apartments nestled in private communal landscaped gardens.

Read on to see and find out more…

St William arrive on site to start the building process.

New gates have been installed at the entrance to Nursery Way.

The entrance layout is changing.

Security measures are put in place.

The addition of access gateways during the construction.

The gas holder concrete walls will be removed and re-used on site for the formation of the piling platforms.

The levels of the ground are beginning to change.

Groundworks have begun, starting with the removal of the tarmac from what was Johnsdale car park.

This area was once the Johnsdale car park, the gates at the end will be a new entance.

Different size attachments are used on the machinery depending on the job in hand.

The first thing you notice is the construction site entrance gates at Nursery Way have been installed and timber hoarding has progressed around the perimeter.

Groundworks have begun, starting with the removal of the tarmac from what was Johnsdale car park and the contractor is continuing to break out the concrete gasholder walls and base. Once all the concrete has been removed from the gasholder it will be processed ready for re-use on site for formation of the piling platforms.

Temporary electrical power during building works.

A sign from the former Johnsdale car park is the only reminder of what this area once was.

Monitors for air quality and noise vibration give real time updates.

Monitors for air quality and noise vibration give real time updates.

Monitors for air quality and noise vibration give real time updates.

Different access areas around the pit of the gas holder.

The two-storey cabins in place for the project team to work from.

A view of the perimeter of where the gasholder once sat.

The concrete from the base of the gasholder will be removed and re-used.

Concrete from the gasholder base that will be re-used on site for formation of the piling platforms.

Air quality, noise and vibration monitoring have been set up around the site by external environmental consultants which provides real-time information on the activities being undertaken.

This machine is used when it is needed to control the dust by applying a veil or thin mist of water to settle it before it can spread.

The site is prepared for the next stages to take place to remove any traces of contamination.

Different objects in place for the building works.

The two-storey cabins, the team have their offices on the upper levels, the lower level houses a drying room for rainy day uniforms to dry out, as well as kitchen facility and an eating area.

The tarmac has been removed from the former Johnsdale car park.

A view of the site from the top of the steps by the flats.

The gateway to Courtyard Gardens during the building works showing an image of what to expect.

I am finding it fascinating to photograph the building process and enjoy learning so much about it. So pleased I have captured the process from the beginning because I am already finding it hard to remember what it looked like this time last year, if it’s the same for you, you can refer back to my previous 4 blogs that started in January to refresh your memory.

During the course of the next 24 months I intend delivering one blog a month with progress photographs from my site visits - with thanks to Ness from St William for escorting and accommodating me, my cameras and my curiosity on site.

If you would like to keep up to date and sign-up to my monthly round-up newsletter please scroll down to the ‘Subscribe to Our Newsletter’ button below to enter your contact email address.

I’ll be back next month with further updates, watch this space.

Enjoy the bank holiday weekend!

Bye for now.

Stella

To read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs.