Adding value to the community at the heart of Camberwell – Ardmore Construction Ltd

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The Ardmore Group was formed 40 years ago and has grown to be one of the largest privately owned design and build main contractors in the UK, offering flexible and structured services to deliver high quality projects suited to the needs of clients.

The Edmund Street project was located along the road frontage of Edmund Street in the London Borough of Southwark – right in the heart of Camberwell Green. The project included the construction of 279 new residential units and buildings which varied from three to six stories in height.

Situated next to Burgess Park, the project provided astonishing views over the city and surrounding area, with close proximity to residential low rise developments, all of which were occupied for the duration of the works.

Consultations with the local community helped to shape proposals for the development which consisted of private for sale, shared ownership, social and affordable units.

One of the main challenges encountered during this project was to minimise the impact on the local community; working in the midst of a busy residential area, complete with two primary schools and surrounded by busy roads.

Here are some examples of best practice initiatives carried out by Ardmore Construction Ltd, to comply with the Considerate Constructors Scheme:

  • Excellent signage was displayed around the perimeter with several maps and directional arrows pointing out areas such as the site office.
  • Large subcontractors wore branded PPE in their own names and the smaller ones were provided with PPE branded in the name of the main contractor.
  • Over 800 neighbours were kept up to date with site news and progress using regular photographic newsletters, which were also displayed on a community notice board on the hoarding, for members of the public to see.
  • A local primary school was enhanced through the implementation of a learning facility which helps parents on low income into employment, or to attend education courses. This project was promoted by the school as an exemplar of joint working with a building contractor.
  • Employment of local labour was encouraged through liaison with the local authority, which led to training,  jobs and apprenticeships, with some employment being on a permanent basis.
  • Arrangements were made to facilitate local college students to visit the site and carry out presentations to the site team and the college, as part of their formal marked exam modules.
  • Afternoon drop-in sessions were hosted to give members of the local community the opportunity to talk to the site team and raise any queries or concerns.
  • An RLO (Resident Liaison Officer) was appointed to help people move into their new homes.
  • An environmental policy was displayed on site with targets for waste, water and energy usage in place and several displays around the site showing performance against targets.
  • The carbon footprint of the site was monitored, with travel distances of all site vehicles recorded.
  • A timber skip was present on site and all timber waste taken back to the head office where it was used in a woodchip burner to keep the work sheds warm.
  • All deliveries from depot to site had the packaging taken back for recycling. Materials loaded on larger vehicles at the depot resulted in less frequent deliveries direct to the site, and therefore minimised traffic disruption.
  • Bird boxes were installed at the earliest opportunity to ensure they were available during nesting season.
  • A rainwater harvesting system was implemented and the water was used for damping down dust.
  • The Health and Safety Manager was located on site and carried out daily ad hoc inspections, as well as formal weekly ones. A set checklist was also used to identify any training needs for subcontractors.
  • There was a weekly safety council meeting for operatives, chaired by the local safety manager and a suggestion box system in place.
  • The importance of respect for colleagues was raised at induction and toolbox talks covering issues such as bullying, mental health and wellbeing were in place.
  • Health and wellbeing posters were clearly displayed covering diabetes, calorie intake and so on.
  • Apprentices were given opportunities on site and two female trade apprentices were employed permanently once they had completed their training.
  • A female trainee project manager also completed her training and was employed by the site.
  • A mental health expert attended the site to talk about the issue of stress and the workforce was able to complete questionnaires to help identify if they were at risk of stress. Help was then provided for anyone where issues were identified.
  • Individual vouchers were given out for free breakfasts when performance above expectation was noted. 

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The Scheme monitors construction activity across the UK and Ireland, scoring registered sites, companies and suppliers against a Code of Considerate Practice.

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