Strood Civic Centre

About this project

Strood Civic is a project for the Medway Development Company which is a special purpose vehicle for developing local authority land. The development of the former civic centre site on the riverside adjacent to the Rochester Bridge comprises retail space and 195 apartments and houses.

BDC was appointed as civil and structural engineering consultants for the development of the planning proposals and the enabling works in close collaboration with the architect, landscape consultant, geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineers, archaeologist, utilities consultant and specialist ground engineering contractor.

The site dates to roman times when the historic roman bridge sprung from the riverbank. In the last century it was used for industrial activity and more recently was the local authority offices which have been demolished leaving just the CCTV hub and ambulance station in current operation.

The site overlies made ground and soft fluvial deposits to depths of 12m and is constrained on all side by the existing river wall, the railway and the existing properties on the high street. To enable the site for residential development, ground levels had to be raised 2.5m above the anticipated long term flood levels.

BDC led in the development of the foundation design, earthworks strategy, flood risk and drainage strategy to sequence the works to minimise any material movements to and from the site and work within the engineering constraints to protect the adjacent structures and services and enable the works to commence while the existing CCTV hub and ambulance station remained operational.