The Wates team and our sub-contractors would like to thank you for your continued patience whilst we have been on site at Sandy Mount. Our site will close for the Christmas period on Tuesday 24 December, and will re-open in the New Year on Thursday 2 January. Can we also take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !

The scaffold strip is going well here at Sandy Mount and we are hoping that it will all be down in time for the Christmas holidays. Scaffold works had to stop temporarily last week as winds reached 90 mph meaning it was too dangerous to work. Now the bad weather has gone the scaffolders are progressing well.

Tiling works have started on the top floor flats inside Sandy Mount. Once the flats have been tiled in both the kitchens and the bathrooms the 2nd fix mechanical and electrical works can take place.

Last week the team at Sandy Mount took part in the annual Community Day which is held every year by Wates across the country. The Sandy Mount team this year helped out at the Linthwaite Ardron Church of England School where they helped out to restore the wildlife area to its former glory. Works involved cutting paths into the area and making habitat hotels. The team were also treated to a school dinner as a thank you for helping out.

Helping Hand

To try and make things easier for all the subcontractors on site, the site team here at Sandy Mount have put up all the flat numbers so each operative gets a better feel for the building and also they don't waste valuable working time trying to find out where they are.

This week has seen the first elevation with render on Sandy Mount being completed. This now means that the final section off roof can be completed below in order for the internal trades to commence.

Last week saw Cllr Molly Walton, Kirklees Council Joint Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care visit Sandy Mount along with other members associated with the scheme to see how work was progressing on site. Molly expressed her delight at the construction of the care homes across Kirklees saying that the three Extra Care housing schemes are some of the most important builds ever commissioned by the council to meet local housing and social care needs for older people. She also praised the site team for doing a good job and that they should keep up the hard work.

Down to Earth

This week has seen Landscaping works commence to the gardens situated to the rear of Sandymount. The landscaping contractor will lay down 300mm of topsoil which once laid will the be seeded and will become a wildflower garden which will hopefully help promote the natural wildlife around the area.

This week has seen the first sheets of plasterboard being attached to the ceiling. The team here at Sandymount has decided to board the ceilings in the corridors first to allow the M&E subcontractor to start installing the power cables for all the flats.

Nearly There

This week has seen the first slates being fitted to the roof. It is a welcomed site for all here at Sandymount as it now allows for the internal trades to commence. lets hope the rain stays off for just a couple more weeks.

This week at Sandymount has seen the first roof trusses being installed Once the roof trusses have been installed the roofing contractor can then proceed with making the building water tight which will then allow the internal trades to commence.

The team here at Sandy Mount are making hay while the sun shines and are progressing well with the timber frame.

 

Next week will see the arrival of the first load of roof trusses. Lets keep our fingers crossed for the weather to stay as it is, so the the roofers can get the roof on and the internal trades can commence.

 

 

 

Ivor Goodsite visit

Last week some of the team at Sandymount along with Ivor Goodsite went to the local junior school to give a presentation on site safety. The children were very excited to see Ivor and at the end of the presentation the children were asked to enter into a poster competition where the winner will receive book tokens. Watch this blog next week where the winner will be announced.

Golcar Gala 2013

Last weekend saw the annual Gala held in a village called Golcar. Organised by the local Parkwood scouting group the Gala raises money for charity and the scouts by inviting local businesses and other people to hold stalls there. With Wates having undertaken works in the area, they offered to help sponsor the Gala. As a result the team headed up by Sam Bray and Robert Frost, organised a stall to showcase what Wates had done in the area. In addition to this was the delivery to the Gala of a brand new JCB for the kids to have a look around and have their photo taken on. Ivor Goodsite also visited the gala to help out . The day was a resounding success. 

 

A special thanks also to:

Mark Swift

Graham Lonsdale

Mark Ashcroft

Robert Kenyon

Andrew Clarke

Jodie Walker

Stephanie Cagaeo

Suzanne Haigh

 

For all coming along to help out on the day.

Caught in the Net.

The site team here at Sandy Mount take safety very seriously and as a result, to enable the safe erection of roof trusses the site team have installed safety nets as a precautionary measure.

 

 

This week saw the first panels being installed at Sandymount. Even though the weather has not been very favourable for the guys on site, work has progressed in line with the programme and over the upcoming weeks we should be able to see the building coming together.

 

 

Floors 2 Go

Concrete was poured this week enabling the sole plates for the timber frame to be installed, scaffolding is programmed to be erected to enable the Timber Frame erectors to work safely, we are looking forward to the Timber Frame erecting especially the topping out party in September when we will be roofing. 

 

 

During the last couple of weeks the block and beam floors have been completed and the pouring of the concrete has commenced. The second pour has taken place today and the final pour will be next week. The scaffold will commence next week in preparation for the timber frame. The tarmac base course will be laid to the front entrance and access road next week.

The site team are excited to see the installation of the block and beam floor this week. once this is completed, the insulation can be laid down and the concrete floors poured. Sam Bray Assistant Surveyor on Sandymount said "It's good to see the men are braving the weather to get the block and beam down so follow on trades can commence in line with the programme"

 

 

 

Ivor Goodsite visits Golcar Gala 22nd June.

The site team have commenced the organisation of Wates' involvement in the Golcar Gala in June, we will have a JCB Excavator in attendance with our designated driver Ivor Goodsite! Ivor will be supported by a number of our colleagues from the Kirklees schemes where photographs, key rings and pictures with Ivor will be available. We look forward to seeing all our friends and colleagues at the event, tickets are available from our project office.

Crosland Moor Junior School Poster Competition

Samuel Bray, Quantity Surveyor on the Sandymount project has visited Crosland Moor Junior School to start the Site Safety Poster competition, The poster competition has been used really well historically on informing younger children on the safety needed on site, this will be run with the Hunt the Hazard initiative.

80% of the drainage is now completed on site and we are preparing the site for the construction of the block and beam.

We finished 30% of drainage at the end of this week.

This week we poured 30% of the concrete foundations with the other 70% to be poured next week. We progressed on the road construction which will help to make Blackmoorfoot Road cleaner and have installed the Precast Lift Shaft.

 

 

This week we started digging the foundations, of which 30% is now ready for the concrete pour on Monday. Road construction and installation of the precast lift shaft are due to start next week.

 

 

 

The car park construction is now finished, permanent cabins are in place and the Foundation dig is due to start next Monday.

This week on site we have progressed with the drainage works and have constructed the car park area ready for the permanent Site Cabins to be installed.

This week the Groundworkers started on site and completed the ground remodelling works, they then progressed with the drainage works and installed four Soakaway Tanks which are one of the most important elements of surface water drainage. Next week we will begin constructing the car park.

 

 

 

Work on the reduced level dig is progressing well.





Tree Removal

Unfortunately, it is going to be necessary to remove four mature trees in order for the work on site to progress. The location of the trees in question is shown on the plan below (the trees are represented by orange circles). The trees are being removed in consultation with the Council’s tree officer, and all the trees will be replaced within the scheme.  They will be replaced with species which have a smaller mature size and will therefore not cause problems to the Excellent Homes for Life site in the future.”

This week on site we improved the pedestrian walkways, progressed with the reduced level dig and put the site signage in place, we are expecting the Groundworkers to start very soon.

Let Battle Commence!

Works have progressed reasonably well since the break at Christmas, with the muck shift really taking shape, groundworkers are due next week to prepare the car park on site to enable the permanent cabins to be located.