Irthlingborough Cemetery

Projects

Irthlingborough Cemetery, Case Study

Location
Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire
Client
Irthlingborough Town Council
Value
Circa £xx,000
Sewer Connections - Building-Site-Scene - JW Clark

Objective

Being based in Irthlingborough and with so many of our employees having grown up in the town, we were really pleased to be able to undertake this job for the Town Council. The cemetery paths at the back of St Peter’s Church had been in urgent need of resurfacing for many years.

About the project

The council were keen that the site be kept open in the main, whilst the works were taking place. But it was not practical to fence off huge sections off the cemetery, therefore we just closed sections of the path where we needed to. 

Some of the paths were in reasonably good condition, but with some trips here and there. We did minor repairs where we had to, and prepared these paths for resurfacing. Some of the older paths at the bottom of the cemetery were in such a bad condition that they needed taking out altogether and starting again from scratch. On these paths we excavated the existing tarmac enough for us to be able to construct new paths entirely.

We used 4×1 timber edging for the sides, as new edging kerbs would have been cost-prohibitive. These were fixed at regular intervals with 2×2 posts driven into the ground. Between these we laid geotextile membrane before laying and compacting 100mm of Type 1 Granite.

Our resurfacing contractors of choice, Edwards Surfacing, came to site a week after we started. They laid 60mm of base course in the paths where we had excavated the old, and then topped this with 30mm of 6mm topping. On the paths that were just being resurfaced, Edwards applied a bituminous spray, on top of which 6mm topping was laid. 

With the tarmac work complete and with Edwards having left site, we laid 10mm screened topsoil to both sides of the new paths throughout, and brushed in grass seed to finish. We also undertook some minor repairs within the church grounds as well whilst we were there. 

It was a pleasure to carry out these works for Irthlingborough Town Council, though this is not the first time we have worked for them. A lot of our employees live in Irthlingborough and some have done so forever! So it was a very special job for us, and in beautiful surroundings, despite the time of year, with lovely views across the Nene Valley.  

Build to dpc, Northampton

Projects

Build to dpc, Northampton Case Study

Location
Northampton
Client
Autohome Ltd
Value
Circa £15k
Sewer Connections - Building-Site-Scene - JW Clark

Objective

Having done many projects for Andrew Robinson & family over the last 15 years, we were pleased to be asked to carry out works for them at their company, Autohome Ltd, in Northampton.

The work was to construct a storage building to ‘dpc’ level, within their office car park.

About the project

We were given drawings by our customer which had been put together by Design & Build Projects Ltd from Towcester, whom we have worked with many times in the past. The drawings detailed a standard 1m trench foundation, standard oversight construction but with 200mm reinforced floor, & associated foul & rainwater drainage. 

The drawings didn’t ascertain where the surface water was to discharge and needed further investigation, so we met with Andrew on site and lifted various manhole covers, and were pleased to identify a dedicated surface water sewer on site. We checked with Building Control and they were fine for rainwater to be dispersed into this system. We lifted a few thousand block paviors where the build was to go, and put them aside for future use by the customer. The footing was dug to a depth of 1m over two days, and the concrete poured on the second day. We reduced the oversite to the required level on a third day and made preparations for our bricklayer to come to site to lay blockwork to dpc level.

The cavity was filled with Gen1 concrete the day after the masonry was completed, and we spent a few days completing the foul, surface water and some ductwork to the new building. We poured the oversite as a 200mm concrete slab using Gen 3 concrete, and with 1 layer of reinforcing mesh. At the front of the new building we created a ramp with some of the block paviors we had put to one side, after which the job was complete. 

With the groundwork complete, we handed the site back to the customer, for him to carry on with different trades to continue the superstructure. The job was quite a small one for us, but we were glad to undertake this work for a long-time customer of ours. If you have a similar project you’d like us to quote for you, please contact us using our online form, and choose ‘New Builds & Extensions’ from the drop-down list.

Customer Review:

Andrew was very complimentary of our work, leaving us the following 5-star review on Google:

“Excellent job as always, under the ever watchful eye of Mark”

 

 

Timeline

Time taken to quote for the works: Less than 1 week

JWC Leadtime until work could be started: 6 weeks

Time taken to carry out the work: Just over 2 weeks including work done by our subcontract bricklayers

Sewer connection, Leicester

Projects

Sewer connection, Leicester, Case Study

Location
Leicester City Centre
Client
Client Neisa Investments
Value
Circa £29k
Sewer Connections - Building-Site-Scene - JW Clark

Objective

We were approached by Nisha from Neisa Investments for both foul & surface water connections for a small block of flats in Leicester City Centre. As per Severn Trent’s guidelines for sewer connections for new properties, the fact that there were more than 2 units, made it that new manhole construction was required in the Highway for connection to both the foul and the storm water.

About the project

Due to the road needing to be closed for this project there was a mandatory 3-month legal lead-time between us being granted our Section 50 Licence by Highways, and us being able to use the licence. A week before the work was to start, we did a letter-drop to the surrounding properties, which is always a condition of a Section 50 licence. We also had to put Advance Warning Signs up on lamposts a week before the closure was to start. 

The two manholes we were to construct in the Highway for the foul and surface water were to be 3m deep and 2m deep respectively. The two existing sewers were in block paving, so we spent the first day lifting hundreds of block paviors and putting them to one side for future reinstatement. We tackled the foul connection first, constructing a manhole on top of the foul sewer just over 3 metres deep. This required the excavation being sheeted out with trench sheets, timbers and acrows etc. The manhole was constructed using standard 1200mm concrete rings with steps for future access. The manhole was finished with a D400 manhole cover as is standard on adoptable manholes in the Highway. We constructed the surface water manhole next, though this one was a bit shallower at 2 metres. 

With the manholes constructed and inspected on a site visit by Severn Trent, we calculated the gradients required to lay the pipework from these two new manholes, to the two demarcation manholes built by the customer’s groundworkers just inside the site boundary. 

The pipework in the carriageway was in block paving the same as the two manholes, with the path being paving slabs. With all pipework laid and tested, the deep trenches were backfilled with gravel and Type 1 MOT compacted in many layers.

The block paving and slabs were reinstated and the site cleared exactly two week after we started.

It was great to carry out this relatively major sewer connection in the heart of Leicester City Centre, and for a really friendly customer as well..

Timeline

Timeline

Time taken to quote for the works: 1 week

Time taken to obtain Section 106 Licence: 5 weeks

Time taken to obtain Section 50 Licence: 3 weeks

Leadtime to use Licence: 3 months legal lead-time due to road closure

Time taken to do the work: 2 weeks

Total time: 6 months

Do you need a sewer connection needs doing? Don’t leave it too late, most people do! Read our article here: How long does it take to do a sewer connection?

Sewer Connection Macclesfield

Sewer Connection Macclesfield

Projects

Sewer Connection Macclesfield

We were approached by long-time customer of ours Fox Construction of Chapenhall in Scotland. Fox undertake full refurbishments and new construction of Shell Petrol stations throughout the UK. Their job in Macclesfield required us to make a surface water connection to the public sewer.

Location
Macclesfield, Cheshire
Client
Fox Construction Ltd
Value
Circa £38k
Sewer Connections - Building-Site-Scene - JW Clark

Objective

Our objective was to lay pipework from the site boundary of a new Shell Petrol Station, and to connect into an existing surface water manhole 80 metres away in the carriageway. The gradients in the Highway didn’t work with the site, and so a pump was installed within the site by Fox, and we took care of all the work in the Highway.

About the project

Fox Construction took care of the Section 106, on this occasion, the wastewater provider being United Utilities. JW Clark applied to Cheshire Highways for the Section 50 Licence, including submission of utilities drawings, our accreditations and insurances, drainage plans supplied by Fox and a traffic management plan which we instructed a third party to put together. 

We met with Highways and agreed a 3-day road closure of a narrow country lane at the back of the site, from where we would lay the MDPE pumped main. The work in the lane was completed in 3 days including full tarmac reinstatement. For the purposes of closing the road, we had to complete a TTRO road-closure application, which included us submitting a diversion plan to Highways and then instructing a third party to set up the road closure and also the diversion including full signage around the site and also along the diversion route.

Following on from this, we laid 40 metres of MDPE pipework in a grass verge and tarmac footpath. At this point we built a 2m deep ‘break chamber’ where the pipework would change from an MDPE pumped main, to 100mm clay pipework (on gravity)

The clay pipework was laid to an existing manhole in the carriageway, nearly 4m deep. Due to the location of the existing manhole, it was proving challenging to retain access to people’s driveways as the excavation would be in the region of 3m square, for us to work safely at 4m dig depth. We also found the ground to be very unstable, with running sand at 3m deep. With this in mind we approached United Utilities who had granted the Section 106, and proposed an internal backdrop, with the aforementioned engineering challenges in mind. United Utilities were in agreement and we submitted our proposals including full design and materials to be used etc. The internal backdrop was installed using 150mm ductile iron, built into the benching of the inside of the manhole at the bottom. 

With the connection complete, the pump chamber was commissioned by Fox Construction and rising main in the Highway tested under pressure. With tests complete and with all reinstatement complete, the site was cleared less than 10 working days after starting on site. 

JW Clark continue to work with Fox Construction on sites across the UK.

Timeline

Time taken to quote for the works: Less than 1 week

Time taken to obtain Section 106 Licence: Fox Construction already had this

Time taken to obtain Section 50 Licence: 6 weeks

Leadtime to use S50 Licence: Highways required only one week

Time taken to do the work: 2 weeks

Total time: 10 weeks from enquiry by Fox, to the work being completed

Do you need a sewer connection needs doing? Don’t leave it too late, most people do! Read our article here: How long does it take to do a sewer connection?

Sewer Connection, Ketton

jw clark sewer connection

Projects

Ketton case study

Kevin Miller was a first-time customer of ours, who contacted us following a Google Search, for a sewer connection he needed doing.

Location
Ketton, Rutland
Client
Kevin Miller
Value
Circa £22k
Sewer Connections - Building-Site-Scene - JW Clark

Objective

Kevin owns an outbuilding in the picturesque village of Ketton, in Rutland. He wanted a connection doing to the public sewer for facilities within his outbuilding. The nearest public sewer was over 60 metres from the public sewer in a combination of unmade ground, tarmac road and grass verge.  

Our Solution

We acted as agent for Kevin in applying for the Section 106 to Anglian Water (AW), as we do for the majority of our clients. Although we normally tend to ask out customers to supply us with a drainage drawing for the application, the nature of the project meant that an architect would not ordinarily have been instructed for any reason. So we put together a basic drawing ourselves, which AW accepted. The application was approved within 10 working days, and was for foul only, with the surface water being discharged separately into the existing land, as is AW’s strongest preference.

With the Section 106 ‘Approval Letter’ to hand, we approached Rutland Highways with a view to making a Section 50 application. We supplied all utilities drawings, a traffic management plan and our accreditations and insurances etc. We have been dealing with Rutland Highways for many years, and the application was turned around in less than 3 weeks.  

We started on site a month later, so the whole process from first contact with our customer, quoting for the works, doing the S106 and S50 applications, and starting on site, was completed within an 8-week, which is very quick for a sewer connection.

We started in private property and laid plastic pipes and manhole chambers from the building to the boundary with the Highway. At the boundary we built a demarcation manhole 1.6m deep with a D400 manhole cover to finish, as it would be continually driven over thereafter. From there laid 100mm clay pipes through a grass verge, across a quiet road, and back into another grass verge. The connection was made onto a 150mm existing clay sewer, at approximately 2m deep. AW inspected the connection and signed off with an approval, which we downloaded and gave to our customer for his future reference. All surfaces in the Highway were reinstated as found and the site closed down.

Whilst we were on site we also scraped off the vehicular access track to the property, we laid geotextile membrane and then we laid and compacted Type 1 MOT granite.

Customer review

Kevin was extremely complimentary of our work and of the people working for us on site, and was kind enough to leave the following 5-star review for us on Google:

JW Clark Ltd: 5 Star Groundworks Experience (Lifesavers Included!)

I can’t recommend JW Clark Ltd highly enough! I recently needed some groundworks done to connect a new toilet to my stables. They dug a 60m trench, 30m of which ran through my driveway.

The owner was fantastic. He provided a clear quote that he stuck to, and even offered two helpful suggestions: replacing an ageing water line and finishing the driveway with crushed rock. Both suggestions made perfect sense and added significant value to the project.

The crew themselves were top-notch. They received a perfect 5 out of 5 from me for their quality work. They were friendly, hard-working, and kept me informed throughout the project. They even consulted me on details like the driveway’s turning circle and topsoil placement. Additionally, they came up with a clever way to simplify the drain connection, showcasing excellent communication skills.

JW Clark Ltd left the worksite spotless, exactly as promised. The owner was always responsive to my questions, addressing billing, licences, and access agreements clearly. They’re an honest, reliable, and meticulous company – everything you’d want in a groundworks team. They even kept me in the loop with the project’s progress by sending a series of pictures, as promised.

Here’s where things went above and beyond! Halfway through the project, I had a sofa scheduled for delivery. The long, muddy driveway, blocked by trucks and trenches, made the delivery crew hesitant. Seeing my predicament, the JW Clark Ltd crew offered a helping hand. They used their skid steer loader to carefully transport the sofa from the delivery van all the way to my house!

If you’re looking for top-quality work at a fair price, with a team that goes the extra mile (literally!), look no further than JW Clark Ltd!

It was a pleasure to have carried out this work for Kevin, at JW Clark we speclialise in sewer connections for both commercial and domestic customers, and for existing and new dwellings. For a quote for a new sewer connection click here

Do you need a sewer connection needs doing? Don’t leave it too late, most people do! Read our article here: How long does it take to do a sewer connection?