Leading construction company start work on sites of 2300-home developments

April 27, 2017

Work has started on the first phases of developments of more than 2300 homes in South Norfolk, with a leading Norfolk construction company first on both sites.

Bateman Groundworks’ teams cut the first sods on site at Wymondham, where Taylor Wimpey will build more than 1200 homes in the next decade, and at Hethersett where more than 1100 homes will be built.

The company’s contracts with Taylor Wimpey were part of £12.5m worth of work for the major home builder and Bovis Homes awarded to the company last month.

The two first phases on the Taylor Wimpey Wymondham and Hethersett sites will involve more than 600 new homes.

Bateman Groundworks site manager Mark Lockwood and foreman John Lyne moved on to the Wymondham site at Silfield Road with their team last week to begin the first phase of a 1200-home development to be built until 2026.

Bateman Groundworks will put in the infrastructure, including roads, sewers and footpaths for 128 new homes on the site, the first part of a 250-home first phase.

The work includes public open spaces, children’s play areas, a community hall and cycle and pedestrian links on land off Silfield Road. Planning permission was granted last December.

At Hethersett, site manager Huw David moved the team that had just completed work on a 128-home Taylor Wimpey site at Costessey to start the Hethersett project where more than 1100 new homes will be built on the site at Back Lane, Hethersett.

Bateman Groundworks teams are first on a construction site to put in the infrastructure, including roads, sewers, footpaths and roads.

Managing director Richard Bateman, who set up the company 19 years in Great Yarmouth, said: “Putting in the infrastructure sets the standard for the rest of the development. We are delighted to be part of the first phase of such significant developments in Norfolk and to be working again with Taylor Wimpey.”

The London Stock Exchange 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain company employs more than 160 people and currently has teams on 15 housebuilding sites with major developers across the region.

To keep up with its busy order book, the company invited its staff – all employed as permanent staff not contractors like other companies in the industry – to take up an offer of more hours before going out to recruit new staff.

More than 70 per cent of eligible staff opted to work a six-day week.

Bateman Groundworks has worked with Taylor Wimpey and Bovis Homes on multiple projects in the East of England.

The company is one of 12 finalists from across the UK in the Lloyds Bank National Business Awards to be announced next month.

It is also an EDP Business Awards finalist for Investment in Business Growth and Corporate and Social Responsibility