Friday 23rd May
It is now two months since AJR Renovations Ltd were appointed to construct the shell of the clubhouse at Colt Hill and we are seeing visible progress. In parallel with the physical works we have been working with our professional advisors to ensure all the correct paper work is in place.
The project has been notified to the Health and Safety Executive as a live construction project. The contractor has prepared his initial construction stage health and safety plan, which has been approved by the CDM Co-ordinator. The contractor’s site set up has included provision of appropriate welfare facilities for those working on the site.
Before the excavations for the foundations could begin in earnest there was about 0.75m of soil to remove across the site: this equated to something like 30 lorry loads of soil to send to tip. With the site levelled the contractor’s surveyor was able erect reference marks on site to set out the building and ensure the foundations were dug in the right places.
The wetter weather earlier this month has been an issue, with work having to stop when the rain makes the site too slippery for work. However drier weather since 12th May has allowed the contractor to get cracking on the foundations. All the concrete footings are now completed and the contractor has started the retaining wall between the canoe store and the rest of the clubhouse.
The Club has arranged for connection to both electricity and the water main in this phase of construction. The connections have been laid across the public open space to the mains in London Road. Whilst the services trench has been backfilled the final reinstatement of the trench remains to be completed.
Further liaison with the planners at Hart District Council has been necessary. The two facing bricks specified in the discharge of planning conditions were no longer readily available: one was unavailable and the other was on a very extended delivery period. The contractor identified alternative bricks with a very similar appearance and our professional advisors have negotiated approval of this change from the planners thus avoiding the potential for a very long delay.
