en.Wedoany.com Reported - The RSK Group is supporting the brownfield redevelopment of Fort Halstead in Sevenoaks, Kent, UK, where a new community of 635 homes will be built, along with public open spaces, commercial employment units, and a primary school.
This brownfield redevelopment project is being advanced by a multidisciplinary team comprising 14 RSK Group companies and 16 independent disciplines, with project management led by CS2 Chartered Surveyors and the development client being Barratt David Wilson Homes Kent. The project will preserve approximately 1,600 trees in ancient semi-natural woodland, a listed ancient monument, and other historic buildings, with the fort being converted into a historical interpretation center. Paul Crowe, Director and Head of Project Management at CS2, stated that RSK has supported the client through pre-acquisition due diligence since November 2023, with post-acquisition activities further intensifying in September 2024.
The project is currently in the demolition and enabling phase, carried out by designated contractor Soilfix. Under an RSK-approved materials management plan, this phase will reuse approximately 48,000 cubic meters of soil, with plans to reuse up to around 80,000 cubic meters of soil during the construction phase. Crowe noted that Fort Halstead brings together a wide range of stakeholders, including defense-related partners, on-site residents and office users, statutory bodies, and the local community. RSK's role is to provide a trusted single point of control, enabling all parties to operate safely and drive the project forward.
Scope of works includes the refurbishment of retained buildings, controlled demolition of surplus structures, remediation of contaminated land, compliant reuse and recycling of materials, and preparation of serviced plots for construction. Crowe added that this integrated approach to demolition, remediation, and design manages risks at every stage, ensuring the preservation of historical heritage and ecology while creating certainty for the client and stakeholders.
RSK companies supporting and delivering the project include CS2, RSK Geosciences, RSK Ordnance Management, Central Alliance, Envirolab, RSK Biocensus, Headland Archaeology, RSK Acoustics, RSK Air Quality, RSK Asbestos, Nature Positive, RSK Environment, RSK Land and Development Engineering, and SCP. Darren Beesley, Operations Director at RSK Geosciences, stated that the scale, history, and complex nature of the site make it a challenging project. The site's military use began in the 1890s as part of the London defense plan, later serving as an ammunition depot and the location of the Ministry of Defence's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, conducting research on explosives and weapons systems.
Pre-demolition ground investigations were completed in December 2024, combining non-intrusive geophysical surveys with intrusive investigations at over 300 locations, with boreholes spaced at 25-meter intervals. The investigation team used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to visualize and interpret data, supporting foundation and remediation design to reduce material over-excavation and waste generation. The project has been shortlisted for two awards in the 2025 Ground Engineering magazine, including Ground Investigation Project of the Year and UK Project with Geotechnical Value between £500,000 and £1 million. As demolition and enabling works progress, further investigations are underway, with the final remediation design to be determined based on additional inspection results.
