Ravensbury Estate Phase 2
The partially completed development forms part of Clarion Housing Group’s flagship regeneration programme, which will deliver 2,800 homes across Merton. Our remit was to rationalise and complete the construction of 54 affordable homes, including a mix of apartments and houses, on an active regeneration site, aligning the inherited structure with updated technical, compliance and cost requirements while preserving design intent.
Taking over a live, part-built site presented significant structural, financial, and logistical challenges. Specialist investigations revealed serious structural deficiencies in inherited works, including elements that had failed to achieve the required design strength. The situation was so severe that full or partial demolition was initially a real consideration if suitable remedial solutions could not be agreed.
Alongside these technical risks, we faced unfulfilled planning conditions, unapproved Non-Material Amendments (including unresolved energy strategy obligations), and the need to re-establish a viable procurement route within the client’s budget. Effective coordination with multiple stakeholders, including Building Control, NHBC, planners, and utility providers, was critical to regain momentum and restore programme certainty.
We implemented a targeted value-engineering and redesign strategy while safeguarding architectural integrity. Key measures included:
- Structural recovery to eliminate demolition risk: We developed and agreed remedial strengthening solutions with the design team and warranty providers, enabling the retention and strengthening of substandard elements rather than full removal. This avoided disruptive, costly demolition while ensuring compliance with current building standards.
- Material substitution: Replacing high-cost GRC and precast stone features with aesthetic aluminium alternatives, generating significant savings without diluting the intended look.
- Simplifying external works: Adjusting ground levels to eliminate metal railing edge protection, cutting cost and complexity.
- Utility and infrastructure management: Early negotiations with utility providers secured fixed electrical connection costs for Phase 2 and future phases, reducing risk and improving cost certainty. Realignment of S278 and hard landscaping designs optimised infrastructure budgets.
- Minimising unnecessary remedial work: Negotiating with NHBC and Building Control to retain incorrectly positioned cavity trays, avoiding large-scale wall demolitions and temporary works.
Sinden delivered a fully redesigned, cost-stable programme, transforming an abandoned site into a high-quality development that met all planning and compliance obligations. Outcomes include:
- Preservation of original design quality with enhanced buildability
- Financial certainty for the client through proactive re-engineering
- Streamlined approvals process achieved with no significant delay
- Delivery of 54 affordable homes forming a key component of a £1bn regeneration scheme
