BE Design has completed the second phase of a development in Reading under a new prime logistics scheme.

The Island Road West scheme saw a former domestic landfill site transformed across two phases.

The five-unit industrial scheme was delivered across a six-metre deep site just off the A33.

Director at the engineering and architecture practice BE Design, Stephen Oakden said: "There is a real demand for space to build residential and commercials schemes, and that is only on the increase. Developing on greenbelt land can be somewhat contentious, so we are seeing more and more former landfill sites and brownfield land around the UK being earmarked for redevelopment – meeting the demand and protecting greenbelt land at the same time.


"This move towards sustainable regeneration means that sites, such as Island Road West, now provide businesses with the real potential to turn dead-end land into usable – and profitable – space."

The second phase began in 2018 following the completion of the first phase in 2017. During both phases of development, ground consolidation techniques - including rapid impact compaction - were employed to minimise the ongoing settlement and subsidence that can occur on landfill sites. As well as this, multiple safety measures have been employed to safely release gases from the decomposing landfill matter into the atmosphere.

Mr Oakden continued: "Of course, landfill sites present a lot of unique challenges when it comes to construction, which have to be considered at the very base of any design service but, as long as the environmental challenges are met with practical and safe solutions, construction on sites such as Island Road West in Reading can be just as successful as developments elsewhere.

"By taking careful measurements both before and after ground improvement techniques are applied to sites, we are able to measure the amount of consolidation achieved, and this data is likely to prove invaluable in the future are more former landfill sites are earmarked for regeneration."

Two of the five units delivered across the two phases remain available to let.

(CM/MH)