Coat Grove, Martock

PROJECTS

Coat Grove, Martock

Project: 125 residential dwellings
Location: Martock, Somerset
Client: Barratt Homes
Services: Infrastructure design, drainage design, highway and drainage authority approvals, planning condition discharge

What it was trying to achieve

A greenfield site in Martock, Somerset had planning consent for 125 new homes for Barratt Homes. The task shifted from planning to delivery: detailed highway and drainage design capable of meeting the adoption standards of Somerset Highway Authority and the local water authority. The work here was not in the planning argument. It was in the principled engineering that turns a consent into something buildable — and ensures that what gets built can be adopted without revision.

What made it complex

The ground bearing strength on site fell below the minimum value required by Somerset Highway Authority for standard road construction. Their adoption standards require a foundation specification the existing ground could not support. An alternative construction proposal would need to be agreed. Separately, the officers responsible for approving the detailed highway designs were different individuals from those who had commented at the planning stage. They requested localised design changes that required fresh negotiation to reconcile with the requirements of the client and the design intent that had already been agreed.

What it produced

Highway and drainage adoption was achieved with the relevant authorities. Planning conditions were discharged. The construction proceeded to Barratt Homes’ specifications with Calibro providing technical support and coordination through to completion. The ground condition challenge that could have disrupted the adoption programme was resolved at design stage, before it became a site problem.

How we thought about it

Principled engineering means knowing where the adopting authority will hold the line, and designing to that line precisely. We assessed the ground conditions against Somerset Highway Authority’s requirements and developed an alternative road construction specification capable of meeting adoption standards in the existing ground. We then worked through the detailed design negotiations, building a revised road layout that met the highway authority’s requirements without unravelling the consent. Highway adoption, drainage adoption, water authority approvals, LLFA engagement and planning condition discharge were managed as a coordinated sequence rather than as separate processes.