Dartford cliff saved from potential risk of collapse after £2m stabilisation project

A large portion of cliffside in Dartford has been saved following a £2m stabilisation project to combat potential safety risks. 

Recent changes in climate, such as greater temperature disparity and heavier rainfall, have seen the cliff in Greenhithe exhibit more significant collapses, posing a greater risk to safety.

Following the completion of several ground and cliff stabilisation projects in recent years, the most recent of which took place in 2021 in Greenhithe, Dartford Borough Council appointed property and construction consultancy, Ingleton Wood, to investigate the stabilisation options for the woodland site in Worcester Park. 

The 2.62-hectare cliffside was originally formed through quarrying and is located close to Greenhithe railway station and is bound by London Road and Worcester Park housing estate. 

Ingleton Wood’s Billericay office was appointed as structural engineers, project managers, cost consultants and principal designers for construction design and management. Throughout the project, Ingleton Wood worked alongside Clifford Devlin, the main contractor, RSK the specialist civil engineers and CAN the specialist engineering contractor.

Mark Reeves, senior associate quantity surveyor at Ingleton Wood, said: “We have carried out other similar stabilisation projects in Dartford in recent years with successful results and were pleased to be reappointed to carry out such essential work.

“The cliff had displayed signs of erosion over the years, exacerbated by recent extreme weather, resulting in a higher risk to the safety of the Worcester Park residents and the wider community.

“We worked very closely with Dartford Borough Council and other project partners to deliver this sensitive project on time and to budget while completing a comprehensive review to ensure the safety of the site for years to come.”

Ecological surveys and briefings were carried out throughout the project to ensure that nesting birds and bats were not affected by the work. Ingleton Wood was supported by Bakerwell who provided ecological oversight throughout the project and provided guidance and advice on measures to be incorporated.

A spokesperson from Dartford Borough Council said: “The expertise that Ingleton Wood and our contractor, Clifford Devlin, brought to the project was invaluable. Without this knowledge, the project would not have been as successful as it was.”

Ingleton Wood has offices in Billericay, Nottingham, Oxford, London, Cambridge, Colchester and Norwich and its services include architecture, sustainability, building surveying, building services engineering, planning, interior design, civil and structural engineering, quantity surveying, project management, and health and safety.