Sunlight Daylight Assessment

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Sunlight & Daylight Assessment – Epsom

Acting on instruction from a repeat client in the Epsom area, Southwest Environmental Limited are undertaking a Sunlight and Daylight Assessment for a prestige development of 2 no. 6 bedroom houses, which occupy the plot of a single smaller dwelling.

The scheme makes very good use of the space available, but unfortunately in the first instance the height of the buildings was a little too great, as it caused loss of daylight to a neighbouring kitchen window that was beyond the loss allowable under BRE 209.

Recommendations were made that involved altering the pitch of the roof, and allowing for a flat roof area, where it would not impact of the character of the property. This reduced overshadowing to the point where, the scheme became acceptable.

The reduction in height did not result in any loss of usable internal space, although it did result in some loss of loft space, which may have been suitable for conversion in the future.


Environmental Consultants London

Ecoli Testing – Sewer Flooding

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Ecoli Testing –  Sewer Flooding

Southwest Environmental have been commissioned to undertake verification testing for the presence of  coliform, post clean up of a sewer spill.

SWEL were contacted by a landlord who was concerned with the persistence of pathogens post clean up of a sewer blockage.

The sewer blockage was caused by an item of clothing becoming lodged in the sewer of the ground floor sewer system of a block of flats, this cause sewer water from the above floors to spill out in to the ground floor flat.

The ground floor flat was flooded to a depth of 2 or 3 inches with sewage emanating from above floors. Significant damage was done to finishing, with staud partitioning and some fiberboard flooring being replaced owing to water damage.

The entire floor area was then steam cleaned and all surfaces treated with a disinfectant. It was at this point SWEL were asked to take samples and acquire results.

The samples were sent for propagation testing at a respected laboratory, so as to deduce cfu (colony forming units) of Ecoli.

These results will then used to inform conclusions of a verification report.

Environmental Consultants London

Flood Risk Assessment – Dorset

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Flood Risk Assessment – Dorset

Acting on instruction from an architects in dorset, SWEL have been commissioned to carry a flood risk assessment, for a barn conversion.

Flood Risk to Barn Conversion

The flood risk assessment will be based on third party data, which will indicate flood depths in the area, and these flood depths will be used to inform decisions relating to finished floor level and safety of occupants.The flood risk assessment will be submitted to North Dorset District Council, who will be required to present the report to the Environment Agency as statutory consultees.

All being well, the EA will agree with the content of the report, and they will not raise an objection. The project will not be subject to the sequential test as it is a conversion.

Flood Risk Assessment

Flood Risk Assessment for Hotel – Bristol

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Flood Risk Assessment for Hotel – Bristol

Acting on instructions from Global Client Southwest Environment have undertaken a Flood Risk Assessment for a development site in Bristol, UK.

The project encompassese the retention of a sporting facility and the extension of the facility to include a 55 bedroom hotel and several eateries.

A mixed use development like this is ideal for a site within a high risk flood zone as it allows for low vulnerability uses on ground floors and and high vulnerability uses on the upper floors.

This site however, although surrounded by high risk areas, was at low risk of flooding and also had a convenient escape route in the form of a raised flyover, so as to provide an evacuation route in case of a flood.

Flood Risk Assessment Bristol

Planning Appeal – South Gloucestershire

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Planning Appeal – South Gloucestershire

Southwest Environmental were engaged by a individual developer in the South Gloucestershire area. SWEL had previously supplied a Flood Warning and Evacuation Plan, and also a Flood Risk Assessment for the Site.

The planning application was refused on the grounds that the building character was not applicable to the area in which it was built. Which was clearly wrong, as the settlement has not specific character by which to compare the design of the building.

The other point for refusal was the failure of the site to pass the sequential test. Whilst some LPAs release excellent guidance for conducting the sequential test, the LPA in this instance were insisted on preventing the use of our normal assessment criteria (for determining reasonable alternative sites) whilst not suggesting any other criteria by which the site could be assessed!

To lead to a gridlock in the process, and despite us using our standard method for determining the sequential test, which was favourable, and has been widely accepted nationwide for 9 years the application for refused permission.

The appeal has now been lodged backed up by a 1800 word appeal statement, which sets out the grounds for appeal.

Planning Consultants Bristol

Noise Impact Assessment – Grays

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Noise Impact Assessment – Grays

Acting upon instructions from client, Southwest Environmental have Produced a noise impact assessment according to British  Standards.
 

The noise assessment was carried out for a self storage warehouse project in the greys area the main impact considered within the report with traffic movements. Unlike typical warehousing we cannot expect large volumes of heavy goods vehicle traffic and research in noise levels were based around car movements rather than heavy goods vehicle movements another consideration was that of the 24 hour access required for self storage warehouses SWEL used data from various self storage associations to build a profile or anticipated vehicle movements the site is within an industrial area that there are residential units quite close to the eastern boundary of the site.

It was found that noise levels were as acceptable when assessed in line with the relevant British standards monastery was carried out over 24 hour period prior to the calculations being performed.

Noise Impact Assessment London

BRE 365 Soak-Away Report – Brinkworth, Chippenham

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BRE 365 Soak-Away Report – Brinkworth, Chippenham

On site geology is the Oxford Clay Formation. Which is described as:
“Silicate-mudstone, grey, generally smooth to slightly silty, with sporadic beds of argillaceous limestone nodules.”
BGS Borehole 398037 which is situated to the south west of site shows considerable thicknesses of Clay, extended to the base of the borehole at 44.81 mBGL.
BGS describe the Oxford clay formation as being blocky and fissile in certain areas, so there is potential the clay in to pervious (support of flow through fissures) in certain localities.
Trial pits showed varying thicknesses of made ground resting over the Oxford Clay. 
Site works comprised of 2no. trial pits with soak away tests conducted in each on. The positioning of these pits were sited in anticipation of a fairly large soak away being required. Clay typically being assumed to have a low infiltration rate.
Holes were dug using an excavator, with care being taken to keep the side vertical. This is important so as to be able to deduce an accurate volume, and pit internal surface area. 
The location of the pits can be viewed on the location plan in Appendix 1. Dimensions of the trial pits were chosen so as to representative of the final soak-away. Trial pit dimensions can be seen on the Trial Pit Log sheets in Appendix 3.
Calculations show that based on a 1 in 10 year rainfall event, allowing for a 20% increase in rainfall events owing to climate change, that a trench or pit soak-aways could provide adequate infiltration drainage for surface water from the proposed development. Results from Trial Pit 1 are adopted as a worst case scenario.
Detailed Calculations – To BRE 365

BS9530 –  Logging of Trial Pits

Geotechnical Investigation Belluton near Bristol

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Geotechnical Investigation Belluton near Bristol 

In support of some road stabilisation work SWEL have carried out a geotechnical investigation at Belluton near Bristol.

Despite tight access, drilling works started in a timely fashion, with recovered of some excellent core samples. Holes were advanced to a depth of 15 meters, with dynamic sampling in soils and weathered rocks, and coring in rock proper.

Dynamic Samples from Ground Level in c. 3 Meters Depth

Core Samples from Weathered Rock Head

Close Up of  Core Fragment

SPT results and disturbed samples from Soils. 

The investigation is to provide data for a cutting for road widening. The rock seems very competent, but soil nails are proposed for further strengthening. Samples were tested for aggressive ground characteristics, and a variety of classification and strength tests.

Geotechnical Investigation Bristol

Sustainability Statement – Lyppiatt Road, Bristol

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Sustainability Statement – Lyppiatt Road, Bristol

Acting Upon instructions from a property developer in Bristol SWEL have assembled a sustainability statement for a multi the residential development win commercial grounds floor use. The development incorporates large areas of south facing glazing and as such specific concerns were raised by Bristol City council regarding overheating potential mitigating measures such as

Overhanging shading were stipulated as possible future upgrades these future upgrades were included within plans with space left for them to be added as a future date when and if some overheating becomes a problem.

Bristol City council have recently started to require detailed energy Modeling at the planning stage SWELconducted a whole building energy model for the development which allows for the presentation of building energy demand and the subsequent : savings achieved through efficiency and renewable energy measures.

Sustainability Energy Statement Bristol

Desktop Study – Chittening, Bristol

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Desktop Study – Chittening, Bristol

Acting on instruction from a property managment company SWEL have produced a desktop study for a property in  Chittening, Bristol.

The property lease was to be aquired by a company and as good practice they were keen to establisg risk from ground contamination in a qualified manner.

SWEL have visited site, photgraphed the building internally and externally, we then use up to date environmental data from the Bristol area and mapping to draw qualified conclusions with regards to ground quality on site.

In this instance we felt that although the build could have had a number of uses, that risk to future users was low owing to broken exposure pathways, and the nature of the intended use.

Desktop Study Bristol