Erith strikes gold

The City of London has awarded the Erith Group three Considerate Contractor Scheme Gold Awards for three separate demolition projects underway inside the city. This is the first time a UK demolition contractor has ever achieved such recognition in a single year. The Gold Award recognises that the requirements of the City’s Code of Good Practice have been consistently exceeded and reflects a spirit of pride, an awareness of the needs of the passing public and regard for the surrounding environment. Erith gained these accolades for work at 33 King William Street, during the London Development Project and at Sugar Quay.

David Darsey, managing dDirector of Erith Contractors Ltd commented: "This is a testament to the strength and the depth of the business. With multiple contracts operating concurrently, which are both complex and demanding in nature, Erith are proud to be recipients of such prestigious awards."

33 King William St was a 10 storey reinforced concrete building with three basements located in King William St at the north side of London Bridge. The site has sensitive surroundings, bounded by the Bank station upgrade works taking place immediately adjacent to the boundary. The site was circular in layout, with a perimeter length of 250 m (820 ft). The building was situated adjacent to Prudential’s European office and the heavy footfall of London Bridge, therefore careful pedestrian and traffic movement had to be managed during peak hours and in tandem with the surrounding businesses operations.

The London Development Project saw Erith awarded the demolition of both the Fleet and Plum Tree Court buildings in early December 2013. The £11M (US$16.2 million) redevelopment scheme, which would pave way for the construction of a high profile commercial office block, took place after a rigorous and enduring six month pre-qualification and tendering process. The deconstruction commenced at the end of February 2014 and was completed in March 2015. Employed as principal contractor, Erith’s core services were to deliver the strip-out, asbestos removal and structural demolition of Plumtree Court and The Fleet Buildings to the top of basement slab level located in Farringdon Street,

The work at the Sugar Quay site is being carried out to clear the way for a residential development that includes 165 apartments in an 11 storey new build on the existing footprint that covers 10,220 square metres (110,000 square feet).