Care Home Construction, Liverpool
- Client: Exemplar Health Care
- Sector: Healthcare
- Type: New Build Care Home
- Procurement Method: Negotiated
- Location: Wallasey, Liverpool
- Project Value: c £4.1m
Project Description
We were delighted to have been appointed by Exemplar Health Care to deliver the design and construction of their new 30-bed care home in Wallasey, named ‘Edgewater’, near Liverpool. The project featured large individual bedrooms with en-suite facilities, a visitors suite, activity, therapy, and quiet lounge areas, along with dedicated separate lounge and dining areas on each floor and kitchen/laundry provision. The scheme provides first-class residential care facilities for the local community and will bring over 100 new jobs to the area. This, our third project for Exemplar Health Care, commenced on-site in July 2021 and was completed in late summer 2022. The build challenges included a brownfield site within a very close residential development as well as continuing local businesses nearby. Exemplar Health Care provides specialist nursing care and rehabilitation for adults living with a range of complex and high acuity needs, with over 30 homes and OneCare services across England. We want to thank Watson Batty Architects Ltd and Eastwood & Partners Ltd for providing the completed designs for this project.
The Challenge
The scheme was on a former brownfield site with previous industrial uses and varying cross levels with some retaining wall elements. Due to the location of the site and the proximity to the Mersey River and Docks, we identified the possibility of unexploded bombs. The site also had invasive species of plants present.
The development needed to fit the area and ensure minimal disruption to other ongoing local businesses and immediate residential areas in the vicinity. Due to the location of the development, it was necessary to consider improved materials performance for the local environment.
The Solution & Key Achievements
A strict remediation strategy had to be planned, implemented, and undertaken. This ensured all unsuitable and identified non-hazardous excavations were removed from the site with clean materials and then imported to complete the cut-and-fill exercise and final external landscaped areas. We had to implement an explosive ordnance disposal engineer with a watching brief to ensure no risk from any potential wartime explosive devices that could have been present during excavation works.
Weed management specialists were required to provide a watching brief and service for treatment prior to, throughout the construction phase and beyond in order to ensure further contamination was not caused and the existing presence was fully eradicated. The site was successfully completed with adherence to the various requirements of the strategy, having been met with no issues. The location meant that upgraded external roofs, windows and doors were provided to meet marine environment standards for longevity.
At all key stages of the build, we engaged with the neighbours via our regular newsletters whilst also displaying site-planned activities on the hoarding surrounding the project. The site was registered with ‘Considerate Constructors’ to help our team ensure a collaborative approach to the surrounding residential and industrial areas. Key to ensuring the various off-site road works and on-site delivery schedules went ahead with minimal disruption
Testimonial
‘They offer a professional. proactive and responsive construction service’
‘One of our preferred partners of choice’
‘We are glad to have them on board and forming part of our team at an early stage on most schemes, adding valuable input and building knowledge’
James Mell - Developments Manager - Exemplar Health Care