Former Needham Market Chalk Quarry

Residential

  • Former chalk quarry at Needham Market

Having reached the end of its working life as a chalk quarry after over a century of excavation, the Needham Market site is being redeveloped for residential use.

Left with a deep lake surrounded by the quarry filled to 13m deep the site presented many challenges. Using 3D modelling software we were able to design a 140,000m3 earthworks operation to fill, regrade settle and stabilise the quarry into a usable platform for development.

Drainage solutions sensitive to the water table were negotiated with the Environment Agency and methods agreed to fill the lake, raise the levels and then recreate the water feature within the development.

SuDS solutions sympathetic to the existing quarry were developed and designed in detail to enable a development of the highest quality.

Project features

  • Offsite highway and drainage improvements

  • Treatment of sensitive water table

  • Major earthworks modelling and design