The Ground Investigations are required to confirm the makeup of the ground which will help us inform the structural design of the development. It will also help us determine whether there are contaminants in the ground, and develop a detailed understanding beyond the desktop studies that were carried out in 2024.

By assessing any potential sources of contamination, which were previously identified via desktop study, we will then be able to inform the scheme’s remediation strategy when we build out the site. This will include how any local impacts for residents are managed.

The works involve the installation of 11 boreholes, together with a number of trial pits to help us understand the ground composition and obtain samples for testing, Excavations will also help us understand, in more detail, the extent of the historic structures on site.

Ground Investigations will commence on site from Monday 17th November, and are scheduled to be complete in mid-December. Works will be carried between typical working hours of 08:00-17:00, Mondays to Fridays.

The Environment Agency, and Southwark Council have been notified of our planned works, which are being undertaken under Permitted Development Rights.

Drilling through made ground will be undertaken using water both to aid the drilling process and to damp down any arisings. We would expect any soil from the boreholes to be contained around the rig and not to become airborne.

Lowick has been appointed by NHG as Community Liaison Officer for the Ground Investigations period. If you wish to make contact on Rotherhithe Reach, we ask that you make contact with Lowick as the first point of contact, using the details below: 

• Email: hello@rotherhithereach.co.uk 

• Telephone: 0800 061 4770 

The email address and phone line are monitored 09:00 – 18:00, Monday to Friday. The aim will be to acknowledge receipt of all emails within two working days. The Community Liaison Officer will do its best to respond to all correspondence within ten working days of receipt, and often will be quicker though may rely on input from wider team members to inform the response. 

In an emergency, such as criminal activity or an emergency situation affecting any Rotherhithe Reach asset owned, or managed by NHG, then please contact the relevant emergency services (999) or Southwark Council Environmental Health team. 

We would also be happy to signpost you to any specific documents where we have provided technical responses to queries you may have. 

From w/c 17 November, the site team, led by Harrison, will be mobilising on site. From the following week, w/c 24 November, ground investigation activity, such as drilling of bore holes, and trial pitting will commence. This will be conducted in an orderly manner so that the site is not fully dug or worked at once.

Following completion of the Ground Investigation works, we expect that clearance of low-level ground scrub vegetation will take place in early 2026. Once the remediation plans are approved by LBS, we hope to commence the demolition of the gas holder and start remediation in spring/summer 2026.

Yes. While ground investigations inherently explore unknown conditions, which may lead to delays or require further monitoring, our current programme remains achievable. We are working towards completing the remediation strategy by the end of March 2026, with the associated planning conditions expected to be discharged by the end of May 2026.

Should delays be encountered, we will ensure that regular updates are provided on our website (www.rotherhithereach.co.uk),

Yes, once boreholes are in place, groundwater will be monitored and sampled.

We will share the findings as part of notifying LBS of our remediation plans for the site, which we expect to be in a position to do by Easter.

It is important that we agree any future remediation plans with LBS, which is conditional upon what, if anything, the Ground Investigation surveys reveal. Before we get to this stage, we must identify what lies underneath the ground, have materials tested, wait for the results to be analysed, and then prepare a report based on the evidence provided to us.

This is dependent on what contaminants, if any, we find when undertaking our ground investigation works. Our remediation options will be considered once our ground investigation has taken place.

This dependent on the level of contamination we find during the Ground Investigation works. We expect to have our laboratory results published by Q2 2026. This will inform our remediation strategy and the scope and length of works to remediate the site.

Capping is a remediation technique that involves placing a layer of low-permeability material over a contaminated substance to physically isolate it from the environment.

Capping of the site is one of several remediation options that could be considered in our Remediation Strategy. Any options we take will be informed following the completion of the forthcoming Ground Investigation works and risk assessment.

We are committed to ensuring that our remediation activities do not adversely affect groundwater or waters draining into surface water systems. To achieve this, a range of mitigation measures will be implemented throughout the remediation process and any hazardous substances found managed in accordance with COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations.

Based on the historical use of these gasholders, possible contaminants may be present at the base of the gasholders. A small amount of coal tar sludge was identified at the base of Gasholder No.2 and therefore, the substance’s presence cannot be ruled out in the existing Gasholder No.3. No substances, however, were found in Gasholder No. 1 during previous ground investigations. It is also possible that waste products from the gas production process may also have been stored within the gasholders, following their decommissioning.

Yes, we will need to clear some vegetation on site. Vegetation clearance will be limited to borehole locations and will adhere to the Tree Preservation Order (TPO) in place on site.

There is an approved Arboriculturist Method Statement commissioned by Notting Hill Genesis, which outlines tree protection measures. These will be put in place before the demolition and enabling works commence.

Following the completion of the Ground Investigation,  we are anticipating that further low level ground scrub will also be cleared in the new year in preparation for demolition and remediation works planned to commence in spring/summer 2026.

During comprehensive bat surveys conducted on site between May and July 2023, a very low level of bat activity was recorded overall. The highest level of activity within the site was associated with boundary scrub located to the east, specifically to the south-east of the gasholder. More broadly, the greatest overall bat activity was observed along the tree line to the eastern edge of the site.

Mitigation measures concerning lighting and landscaping will be implemented throughout both the construction and operational phases. These steps are designed to minimise the impact of the proposed works on bats. As a result, with these mitigations in place, the long-term effects on bats are not anticipated to be significant.

The bat survey undertaken at the planning stage has incorporated measures to limit the impact on bats during the construction works. These recommendations include the control of construction light levels, and they will be put into effect once construction commences next year.

Records of badger sett locations are generally kept confidential to protect the species, in line with national planning guidance and best practice, and were not provided in the data search. No evidence of badgers, such as setts or other secondary indicators, was observed during the recent autumn 2025 survey, either within the site itself or in the surrounding 30 metres, where access was possible. The site’s topography offers limited potential for sett building, and as such, it is considered to provide negligible potential for badgers on site.

We understand that foxes have been sited around Salter Road and will take their presence on site seriously. Ground Investigation works will be carefully managed to minimise disturbance. All works will take place during the daytime, avoiding periods when foxes are typically active at night. Ecological checks will be carried out in advance to ensure no active dens are present, and if any are identified, buffer zones and adjusted working methods will be put in place.