Thorpe Crescent, Watford

Project Overview

R. Benson were appointed as Principal contractor to construct 2 number –two bedroom flats to an end of terrace large garden infill site at the corner of Thorpe Crescent, Watford. R Benson worked closely with Watford Community Housing (WCH) in agreeing a final design and provided value engineering to enable WCH to maximise the new properties from a restricted budget. The project has been a success for WCH in proving small infill sites offer value for money, and that they can assist with the pressure to create more homes. Work included:

  • Relocation of gas meter, garden paths and boundary fencing to adjoining property and co-ordination and connection from all utilities
  • New foundations and drainage
  • Block and beam ground floor and foundation brickwork
  • Timber frame and cutting into adjoining build roof line and provision of light tunnel
  • New roof and tie-in with adjoining property
  • All internal partitions, soundproofing, and finishing’s
  • External retaining walls, landscaping, sheds and dryers
  • Internal decoration and fittings

Achieving milestones

We used our ISO 9001 quality system to achieve a zero-defects at handover. We carried out a structured staged inspection and snagging process for each property using specific criteria for each aspect. Each key stage being inspected by Site Management and signed off before further works can continued. This enabled us to anticipate and fix any issues prior to handover. We achieved a 100% quality pass rate at the handover stage. As a NHBC approved builder, R Benson was able to provide WCHT with a 12 year guarantee on all of the works.

Service Delivery

R. Benson have a structured purchasing and supply chain management process to assure the quality, safety and value of all subcontractors. Potential subcontractors must pass a PQQ assessment designed for public sector contracts. We also have a social value policy in place, which sets out our commitments to local suppliers. All subcontractors used on this project had worked with R. Benson on similar past requirements and were approved for the type and scale of work delivered.