The development off Dean Row Road, being brought forward by Taylor Wimpey and Jones Homes, will create 168 new homes, including affordable housing, alongside public open space, landscaping and associated infrastructure.
IGE was appointed to undertake Phase 1 and Phase 2 geo-environmental investigations to support the planning application for the development.
Our work included two stages of intrusive ground investigation designed to build a detailed understanding of the ground conditions across the site. The first stage, carried out in October 2024, involved 33 mechanically excavated trial pits and subsequent laboratory testing. A second stage in March 2025 comprised a further 37 trial pits, 22 dynamic sampling boreholes and 21 dynamic cone penetrometer tests, supported by ground-gas and groundwater monitoring.
The investigations identified previously unrecorded deposits of peat in four areas of the site, concentrated around topographical low points. Around 2,000m³ of peat was identified within areas proposed for development, with deposits generally less than one metre thick.
The findings were used by the wider project team to adapt the proposed masterplan, helping to mitigate issues associated with the identified peat deposits at an early stage. As a result, IGE recommended the peat within areas of proposed development is removed as part of the earthworks programme, both to address geotechnical considerations and remove a potential source of ground gas.
IGE also developed a plot-specific foundation zoning plan, enabling foundation solutions to be tailored to the conditions identified across individual areas of the development rather than adopting a blanket approach across the whole site.
In areas affected by peat, soft ground and shallow groundwater, piled foundations were identified as an appropriate solution.
The investigations involved careful logistical planning to avoid existing services while allowing the team to target areas of peat requiring further assessment.
The work provided the development team with a detailed understanding of the site’s ground conditions and clear recommendations for managing identified risks as the scheme progresses.
IGE’s director, Andrew Edwards, said: “Dean Row Road is a good example of why a detailed, site-specific approach to ground investigation is so important on major residential developments.
“Our investigations identified areas of peat which hadn’t previously been recorded and enabled us to establish their extent and understand how they could be dealt with practically through the development process.
“The findings also helped inform changes to the proposed masterplan, enabling the wider project team to mitigate issues associated with the peat deposits at an early stage.
“Rather than applying one solution across the whole site, we were able to develop targeted recommendations and a plot-specific foundation strategy based on the conditions encountered.
“That gives the project team greater certainty as the scheme moves forward and helps ensure ground-related risks are addressed in a proportionate and commercially considered way.”
Cheshire East Council’s Strategic Planning Board resolved to approve the Dean Row Road development in September, subject to the completion of a Section 106 agreement. The wider scheme is being delivered jointly by Taylor Wimpey and Jones Homes.
