Overhanging trees, and overgrown vegetation and scrub were hampering an essential survey inspection of a wall at the Barking Creek riverbank in East London which was required as part of a construction project.
Chevron Green Services were brought in to clear the riverbank and encroaching vegetation to allow the surveyors to get close enough to the wall to carry out a thorough inspection and to enable repairs to be made where necessary.
The Challenge
Clearing vegetation, scrub and brambles is usually a straightforward job for Chevron Green Services but, on this occasion, the location of the works presented a number of challenges.
The river at Barking Creek is a tidal tributary to the River Thames. Tides flow in quickly which needed to be considered as part of the risk assessment. Access to the riverbank was limited so the chipper couldn’t reach the site.
The other challenge was in relation to the height and accessibility of the wall which was hard to reach in some places.
The Solution
Following a review of the works required and the location, a detailed risk assessment was carried out and a programme of works was agreed.
Before works were undertaken, Chevron Green Consultancy spent a day assessing any ecological constraints which may have impacted the proposed works.
Due to the nature of the vegetation and the imminent nesting bird season, the ecologist recommended that the works begin earlier than originally planned or that an on-site Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) be employed to ensure any nesting birds are not disturbed and are protected during the de-vegetation works.
Chevron Green Services allocated a four-person crew to this project which was to complete within a week. Given the close proximity to the river and the tidal flows, the crew were equipped with life jackets and one member of the team was placed on tide watch. On-site ropes and harnesses were provided given the height and accessibility of the wall.
The chipper was parked at a suitable location on the towpath and the crew carried the cleared branches along the towpath where they were chipped.
Outcome
Over the course of a week, their crew cleared the vegetation, scrub and brambles on the riverbank and around the river wall and took it offsite to be chipped and disposed of appropriately.
Following the clearance, their client had full, unrestricted and safe access to the area to complete their required surveys.
They received some lovely feedback from the public using the tow path. They were very appreciative of the work, having previously found it hard to pass through the path in places and enjoyed having clear viewing points to be able to watch the birds on the river.
About the Client
The client on this project was Valor Real Estate Partners LLP. Valor Real Estate Partners LLP specialises in investing in logistics and industrial real estate across Europe. They have over 100+ properties covering over 7.3m square feet
