Code for Sustainable Homes Pre-Assessment – Barking

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Code for Sustainable Homes Pre-Assessment – Barking

Acting on instructions from a firm of architects SWEL have prepared a Code for Sustainable Homes Pre-Assessment Report for a 30 unit development in Barking, London.

The Project Achieved a very high SAP Rating

The scheme sees the refurbishment of an existing building and a large extension to rear which is new build. The project is required to meet Level 4 in the Code for Sustainable Homes.

In order to assess energy consumption for the development detailed SAP calculations were undertaken. To derived TER and subsequent DER. As well as high levels of fabric energy efficiency the scheme is to use combine heat and power. This will not only provide very low carbon emissions, it also provides scoring benefits under NOX emissions, and low carbon technologies sections of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Combined heat and power will also provide considerable income for the building management company under the government Renewable Heat Incentive, a tariff which pay on renewable heat energy technologies.

Further Reading:

Barking and Dagenham
Code for Sustainable Homes
NOX Levels from CHP

Ship Recycling Plan – Exeter

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Ship Recycling Plan – Exeter

Whilst undertaking a complex permit application for a ship recycling facility in Exeter, UK. Southwest Environmental Limited were requested to prepare a Ship Recycling Plan.

The ship recycling plan was based on the following guidance, whilst has alterations made for contextual accuracy.


  •  Overview of ship recycling in the UK (DEFRA 2007)
  •  Guidelines for ballast water management and developments of ballast water management plans (International Maritime Organization)
  • Guidelines on Ship Recycling (InternationalMaritime Organization, 2003)
  • Ballast performance standards set by the Convention for the Control and Management of Ship Ballast Water and Sediments (International Maritime Organization, 2004)
  • 2012 Guidelines For Safe And Environmentally Sound Ship Recycling (MEPC)

It was felt that this document could in some way replace the environmental management system, and certainly creates a lot of duplications, but the ship recycling plan was requested as part of the duly made requirements, upon appraisal of the application by the Environment Agency, and so had to be submitted to meet their requirements.

If you require a Ship Recycling Plan for you operation then please get in touch. Contact details are at the top of the page.

Compliance Consultants Exeter

Contaminated Land Review – Exeter

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Acting on instructions from a development company SWEL are to review data relating to the restoration of development site which has seen considerbale quantities of materials imported for use as fill.

Records of imported materials have been well kept and cross referenced with laboratory analysis.

Using our standard generic quantitative assessment methods SWEL are producing a report to assess whether the site is fit for intended use, based on the provided data.

Contaminated Land Consultants Exeter

Flood Risk Assessment – Seaton, Devon

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Flood Risk Assessment – Seaton

Acting on instruction from a local authority Southwest Environmental Limited are to carry out a flood risk assessment for a proposed car car in Seaton, Devon.

The site is within a very complicated area with regards to flooding with recording instances of sewer and river (fluvial) flooding. Owing to the site’s proximity to the sea the action of waves is also important, having to be assessed relevant to the quality of flood defences in the area.

As well as up to date flood data the data ordered also contained various historic data as per above. This is not the not, and is handy as it includes information on the location of sewer flooding.

Flood Risk

Desktop Study – Ealing, London

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Desktop Study – Ealing, London

Southwest Environmental have conducted a desktop study to appraise land contamination at a site in Ealing London, on behalf of a development company.

The site was empty, and currently unused. Histroic searches showed that the site used to be occupied by a cinema.

Although it was thought that there was low risk from contaminated from this use, there were concerns raised over the possible presence of asbestos, and the also the integrity of control measures applied to a sub station in one corner of the site. 

A site investigation was therefore recommended, soil sampling in the area adjcent to the electricy sub staion to test for PCBs and soil sampling else where to test for the presence of asbestos.

Desktop Study London

Flood Warning and Evacuation Plan – Tilbury Essex

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Flood Warning and Evacuation Plan – Tilbury Essex

Southwest Environmental typically include a basic flood warning and evacuation plan within our Standard Flood Risk Assessment Report. However, some times for large multi use developments, in high risk areas a more detailed report is needed.

These Flood Warning and Evacuation Plans have numerous objectives which are listed below:

  • To inform residents and / or site users of likely flood conditions, how deep, will it be fast flowing.
  • To explain the flood warnings issued by the Environment Agency and how to interpret these warning, and act upon them.
  • To describe the location of any safe refuge that may be included within the building. 

A safe refuge is an area assigned within a building that is set above the 1 ;1000 year flood level. Residents or employees can move to this higher area within the building in the event of a flood. They may have to remain in the safe refuge for a number of day so it is important that there is space and facilities available accordant with the anticipated number of occupants.

It was conditioned within the planning approval for the development that a list of provisions be included for the safe refuge store within the Flood Warning and Evacuation Plan, and this was provided based on MSN 1676 a specification for provision in life raft and life boats. Irrelevant equipment was omitted, but by following this guide it was thought a long lasting and useful collection provisions was established on site.

This particular project in Tilbury, Essex require two plans, one for residential site users and one for commercial users.

If you have requirements of this nature with regards to a planning application or a planning condition relating to Flood Warning and Evacuation Plans then please get in touch.

Contaminated Land Site Investigation – Epsom and Ewell

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Southwest Environmental have recent been commissioned to undertake a contaminated land  site investigation within the London borough of Epsom and Ewell. The site investigation was commissioned on Wednesday the 30th April, and work began on the 6th of May. Making for a very prompt start.

I addition to the soil sampling of a car park area, vapour monitoring was also undertaken in the existing building which is ear marked for conversion under the new permitted development rights.

Another riveting photo!

The samples are currently with the labs on a very quick 3 day turnaround meaning the draft (soils only) report will be issued just two weeks after commissioning.

Environmental Permit Application – Hereford

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Acting on instruction from a construction and demolition company based to the north of Hereford. Southwest Environmental are undertaking an environmental permit application for a SR2010No12 permit (Treatment of waste to produce soil, soil substitutes and aggregate) .

The application site is ideally situated and meet the criteria for a standard permit;

• 10 metres of any watercourse;
• 50 metres from any spring or well, or from any borehole not used to supply water for domestic or food
production purposes; and
• 50 metres from any well, spring or from any  borehole used for the supply of water for human
consumption.  This must include private water supplies.
• 250metres within the presence of Great Crested Newts, where it is linked to the breeding ponds of the
newts by good habitat.; 
• 50 metres of a site that has relevant species or habitats protected under the Biodiversity Action Plan
that the Environment Agency considers at risk to this activity.;. 
• 50 metres of a National Nature Reserve (NNR), Local Nature Reserves(LNR), Local Wildlife 
  Site (LWS), Ancient woodland or Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The application is under way, with fairly limited supporting documentation constituting and Environmental management System, and a Site Condition Report.

Flood Risk Assessment – Bristol

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Southwest Environmental Limited were commissioned to write a flood risk assessment to accompany a planning application.

SWEl were informed that that the site was within flood zone 1, and was at low risk of flooding from tides and rivers. However, there was a question with regards to surface water flooding.

Unlike most developments that see the introduction of built elements, with a subsequent decrease in attenuation, the proposal saw the introduction of large areas of woodland and meadow land which resulted in a 10% increase in attenuation.

Flood Risk Bristol

Daylight Assessment for Basement Flat – Haringey

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Daylight Assessment for Basement Flat – Haringey

SWEL were approached by a property company in Haringey, London, to undertake an assessment of daylighting in an existing basement flat, with a view to making improvements to to increase daylighting.

A recommended level (ADF) of 1.5% is given for living areas, and the calculated ADF for the living area was around 0.25%.

The existing basement had an open sky angle of around 19 degrees, and an obstruction angle of 50 degrees. A report was published to suggest improvements that saw calculated ADF raised to 1.6%.

Sunlight and Daylight Assessment