Ashdown House

Project Background

Ashdown House was Constructed during the early 1980s on land between Sedlescombe Road North and Harrow Lane in St Leonards near Hastings in Kent. The ​building​ was originally constructed for the Property Services Agency, with part of the site later used by the Department for Health and Social Security, then the Child Support Agency. In September 2021, plans were submitted for the construction of 152 new homes and a supermarket to be occupied by Aldi, providing a forecast 50 jobs on the site[1], these plans being approved on the 19th of January, 2022.
Ashdown House is a brownfield site, in a highly sustainable area with three existing points of access: one from Sedlescombe Road North (A21), and two from Harrow Lane. The focus of the development is to demolish the existing buildings and to bring the entirety of the site back into beneficial use, bringing jobs and homes to the local community. The proposed Development provides both affordable and market housing that will contribute to the town’s housing stock and overall need for affordable housing, as well as offering opportunities for a revitalised community facility, development achieving carbon reductions over and above national requirements, as well as financial contributions to enhance surrounding areas for play and open space.

Scope of Works

Following a highly competitive tender process, Goody Demolition Limited were awarded the demolition project by Chartway Group, who were acting as Main Contractor for the Development. GDL began mobilisation immediately upon award, assigning our most experienced Team to this flagship project – one of the largest and most complex structural demolition projects the company has undertaken in recent years.
Due to our extensive experience and understanding of the needs of the demolition and complexities of the site and local area, GDL were appointed Principal Contractor and worked collaboratively with the Client, their Design Team and Consultants to ensure the project was planned meticulously and with all due consideration for local sensitive receptors and surrounding communities and stakeholders.
GDL scope of works consisted of: Site Set Up (welfare, office, canteen, toilets etc.); establishment of exclusion zones and installation of appropriate signage and barriers; service disconnections / terminations; asbestos removal works (undertaken by a Licensed Contractor); establishing drop zones; internal soft strip and preparatory works; structural demolition of Ashdown House and ancillary structures; removal of designated slabs and foundations; crushing of materials/material processing on site (stockpiled for future use by Developer) leaving site safe and tidy for Client inspection and subsequent handover.