Havelock Farm

Project Background

Havelock Farm is located on the Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG) site at Wakehurst, Haywards Heath in West Sussex, with a number of redundant buildings which had been identified as surplus to requirements, and as such were the perfect site for development to increase the capacity of the RBG Estate.
The Royal Botanic Gardens Satellite site at Wakehurst may be less well known than its affiliated main site at Kew Gardens in London, however it is no less important. Wakehurst is home to the Millenium Seed Bank, which holds samples of over 2.4 billion seeds from around the world, storing them to conserve them for the future. The seeds are stored underground in sub-zero chambers within flood, bomb and radiation proof vaults.
The development consists of the demolition of the existing redundant agricultural buildings (with those of heritage value retained), and the construction of a new conservation and research nursery consisting of four glasshouses of varying sizes, polytunnels, shade structures, standout area, mechanical plant building and associated hard and soft landscaping works.

Scope of Works

The tender for the works at Havelock Farm was advertised through the Procure Public Demolition Framework, on behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. GDL have had great success in recent years since being appointed to the framework in 2021, with our competitive pricing and comprehensive quality and technical proposals being praised by Client and Contract Administrator alike, leading to us being awarded numerous Contracts.
Despite the relatively small-scale of the site, the scope of works on the project was extensive – mostly due to the fact that the site is located within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and is considered to be a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) – and thus subject to stringent conditions on granted planning permissions on relation to the demolition and subsequent development.
Our contracted works included; preparation of pre-commencement documentation to satisfy planning conditions; installation of temporary fencing and tree protection measures; completion of pre-condition surveys (asbestos R&D, Structural, UXO and Drainage); disconnection, decommissioning and removal of existing services across the site; removal and disposal of all waste and asbestos containing materials (ACMs) from within the buildings and around the site; cooperation with Client appointed ecologist to undertake investigatory works in relation to bat and bird roosting; preparatory soft strip; demolition and clearance of structures, slabs and foundations, remedial/building works and crushing of site-won material for backfill.