WP3276 - Site Investigations for the Challenge Block site

Tender description

Walsall Council is seeking a suitably experienced and qualified consultancy to undertake Phase I and II Site Investigations for the Challenge Block site, Hatherton Street, Walsall. The site is made up of a mixture of occupied and derelict buildings and land that is used for car parking. The site is directly adjacent to a railway line and the Ford Brook which also runs in a culvert beneath part of the site. The northern part of the site is within a wider area that has been infilled as a result of previous limestone mining. The Council is currently in the process of preparing an Area Action Plan (AAP) which allocates sites for development in Walsall town centre. A series of consultations on the AAP have been undertaken and it is anticipated that the AAP will be submitted to the Secretary of State for examination later in 2016. Policy AAPINV3: Walsall Gigaport of the emerging AAP states that: Challenge Block (TC41) is allocated for the following uses: • Multi-storey car park (Policy AAPT5) • Convenience retail/ bulky goods, if sequentially preferable sites cannot be delivered (Policy AAPS2). The site is therefore seen as a key development opportunity within Walsall town centre. In order that future development of the site can be progressed there is a need to understand existing ground conditions and any potential issues that exist. As majority landowner Walsall Council is therefore commissioning Phase I & II site investigations to provide this information.