The preparation proper begins


November is not normally regarded as the best time of the year to begin groundworks, but our development has been waiting most of this year for the consent for our sewer connection, which had to be in place before our foundations could be built. So 10 November 2020 was the date for the site preparation (removing rubbish and scraping off the topsoil) to begin. Gwyn, who was the JCB driver for the sewer job, returned and neatly scraped and scraped away. The topsoil was gathered at one side and back of the site. Gwyn even kindly replanted in the corner of the site a now leafless acer which we had all admired in its autumn finery three weeks earlier. We visited in the late afternoon. For the first time, the plot no longer looked like the former garden it had been, pond and all.









The second day's work involved more grading and the lorrying away of spoil. Fortunately the ground held up (just) to the weight of the lorry.  There's still moisture in the ground after significant rain a couple of weeks ago. However, a strange sight greeted us when we went for a look after lunch. The upturned pond liner sat pretty much in the middle of the plot, and Gwyn showed us that it was covering the access to what appears to have once been the septic tank of the neighbouring house. Alongside it are the remains of an inspection chamber.


 



This presented an unexpected problem. We needed to assess where exactly the tank lies in relation to our foundations, and we also needed to take advice as to what to do with it. So today (Saturday) we returned with daughter Emma and grandson Joseph, and met Dan of sewer connection fame who had come over to assess the site and decide on the machinery needed for the excavation of the foundations planned for Tuesday. We did some measuring and worked out that the offending cavity is pretty much in the middle of our garage-to-be at the front of the building. It's not yet clear what the implications are, as all the ground floor is to be beam and block construction. (so the floors rest on the strip foundations.  Presumably these voids will have to be filled, but whether with concrete or other material we know not.


I've sent details and a rough drawing to Adrian, and await his advice.  Next week should see big changes and a real sense of progress - trenches and concrete, and an outline of the whole building on the ground.









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