De-risking an inner London brownfield site for new community development

The Bermondsey Project

When Grosvenor Britain & Ireland was looking to develop a former Peek Freans Biscuit factory and replace it with a new, sustainable mixed-use community, our team was there to help.

As part of an effort to regenerate the area, our ground investigation specialists were originally appointed in 2018 to conduct detailed site investigations. Given the size and significance of the proposed regeneration, our work continued, phase by phase, over a further two years to make sure the whole site was de-risked for the future development. Acting for the project managers, our Geo-environmental team began demolition and enabling works in 2020. Prior to that, our site investigations were carried out in areas that remained in operational use, including commercial use and a school.

In its time, the Peek Freans factory was famous for inventing the Bourbon and Garibaldi biscuits and for having made the Queen’s six-foot tall (1.8-metre) wedding cake in 1947. The site closed 30 years ago but in an area of London that was previously heavily industrialised, our extensive site investigations and remedial strategy design work was essential to making sure the required regulatory approvals have been secured to enable the development work to proceed.

By reimagining the former factory site, the scheme will ultimately deliver a sustainable neighbourhood by the late 2020s comprising more than 1,500 homes as part of a major build to rent scheme—with 35% of these affordable. There will also be a 600-seat secondary school, flexible employment space, and a particular emphasis on public realm.

In late 2020, this project won the planning category at the New London Architecture awards for Best Masterplans and Area-Wide Strategies.