BWB Consulting - Integrated Engineering and Environmental Consultants

Services:

• Due Diligence
• Geotechnical
• Environmental
• Flood Risk Assessment
• Expert Witness
• Civil Engineering
• Structural Engineering

Sectors:

• Planning Support and Appeals
• Retail
• Transportation and Infrastructure

The Edmonton store in north London is IKEA´S largest UK store built to date (28500m²). It was constructed to budget in an IKEA (UK) record time of only 35 weeks from commencement of works to ´opening for business´.

BWB´s involvement in this project dates back to 1997 prior to IKEA purchasing the 8 hectare (20 acre) contaminated brownfield site adjacent to an operational gasholder. We provided pre-acquisition advice regarding geo-environmental issues and potential liabilities together with advice on flood risk, and provided budget costings for works to overcome ´abnormal´ development problems. We subsequently undertook a comprehensive ground investigation and prepared a remediation strategy and flood risk assessment to satisfy the regulatory authorities. These documents were incorporated in the EIA that was prepared to support the planning application, and helped to justify IKEA´S planning case that without high value retail use being consented the site was likely to remain undevelopable, blighted and derelict.

Planning consent was granted on Appeal in March 2004 and detailed design work commenced immediately. The project, which was procured using construction management, commenced on site in May 2004, and the store began trading 35 weeks later.