EJT Construction

Trinity Park is the largest project EJT Construction has worked on with Premier Guarantee. Can you tell us a bit about the project?

The project being constructed for our client Home Group Ltd comprises 132 homes of mixed tenure, made up of 95 Shared Ownership and 37 Affordable Rent homes. They are traditionally built bungalows and two storey houses. Two of the bungalows are M4 (3) compliant for Shared Ownership, which is unusual and will greatly benefit those with needs requiring this type of home looking to get on the housing ladder.

The scheme includes an extensive public open space green area, of more than four hectares, including a RoSPA approved children’s play area, contoured play and footpaths through open wildflower meadows, as well as water features for the local community

A significant element to this project is the introduction of a new roundabout at the entrance of the development, including the renewal of local highway footpaths to link this new development to local amenities

All developments, even sites with such high quality of standards as Trinity Park, face challenges along the way. Are you able to talk us through some of the obstacles you faced on this site and how you overcame them in order for it to become the success it is?

Ecology Translocation

This area is home to both common lizards and slow worms which were abundant in numbers on this site.

Working closely with our ecology consultant, we undertook a planned translocation of these protected species to neighbouring land. The ecologists weren’t prepared for the considerable number and frequency of reptiles caught and our strategy to create a presence-absence site took several gear changes by EJT to achieve our programmed start of construction on site for our client.

We created several new nesting and sunbathing sites outside the project boundary to ensure trapped reptiles weren’t tempted to re-enter, and adopted a painstaking process of hand tool habitat removal to ensure no reptiles were harmed when construction activities commenced.

We are overwhelmingly proud that we were able to relocate so many, which will hopefully make new homes in the green spaces we have now produced as part of the site-wide design.

High Water Table

Constructing the residential area and public open space required a substantial earthmoving exercise on land with a very high water table. To facilitate these works effectively, EJT engineered a site-wide dewatering mechanism through the permanent drainage system, whilst balancing the generated muck through strategic design of the public open space. This, in turn, reduced the site’s carbon footprint by eradicating disposal of muck from site.

New roundabout

The requirement of a new roundabout has been challenging. Designed and approved through a Section 278, not only was this new highway work located on a small country lane, but it also included the facilitation of construction deliveries on a 90-degree bend. All the while, maintaining positive local support.

Fortunately, EJT Construction benefits from an in-house civil engineering and groundworks division which enables us to seamlessly coordinate the construction teams on site. This allows us to work as one team with the same objective and, through regular dialogue with community partners, we have now completed 95% of these disruptive works with only a handful of queries from local residences.

Sector inflation

As everyone in all industries is aware, the difficult financial climate we find ourselves in has influenced the sourcing and procurement of materials.

With price increases and shortages of certain materials, we have had to monitor and manage the situation diligently in order not to impact the scheme. With our dedicated in-house procurement, design and surveying teams, along with trusted supply partners and sub-contractors, we have worked tirelessly to maintain cost control across the project.

At Premier Guarantee, we work alongside site teams to find effective solutions, offering flexibility with our Technical Manual. What has your experience been like working with Premier Guarantee?

We find working with the Premier Guarantee team a very positive experience. From our regular site inspections, the thorough reports we receive, through to uploading data onto their portal and obtaining certification – Premier Guarantee’s site and head office teams are very proactive making the entire process a pleasant experience.

A huge thank you to Scott Harris and the rest of the Premier Guarantee team.

Our ethos at Premier Guarantee is strongly rooted in teamwork and sensible collaboration. It is clear the same is true for EJT Construction. You worked closely with Home Group on this development. What would say the secret is behind successful teamwork like yours?

We too believe successful teamwork is achieved through a collaborative mindset with effective communication and integrity from all parties.

This is the first time EJT Construction has collaborated with Home Group and we have formed a strong partnering relationship with all levels of their organisation. Their commitment to delivering quality housing for their clients aligns with that of EJT Construction and we very much look forward to the successful delivery of this and future projects with them.

Our partnering relationship with Premier Guarantee means we’re not afraid to raise issues or clarification on a detail or regulation - knowing that we will receive positive feedback and assistance when it is requested. This partnering teamwork is invaluable and is why we return to Premier Guarantee on all main contract projects.

After a recent independent audit of Trinity Park, the site cleanliness was described as 'possibly the best seen in nine years'. To any builders out there who strive to achieve such standards, what advice would you give on maintaining such high quality?

It is of fundamental importance to EJT Construction that site cleanliness and general appearance is the best it can be. This creates a positive mindset for those working on site which in turn enhances overall efficiency in a quality driven environment where operatives are happy to come to work and are motivated to maintain high standards.

The key, as a main contractor, is to lead by example and to provide adequate resources, plant and material to achieve this high standard.

EJT Construction and Trinity Park won a Premier Guarantee Quality Recognition Award recently. It is a real joy for us at Premier Guarantee to recognise site teams in our prestigious Excellence Awards programme. What does it mean to you and your team to receive these awards?

Winning this award means a great deal to EJT Construction and Home Group and makes everyone involved feel appreciated for their hard work. It formally symbolises their professionalism and commitment to delivering a quality product to be proud of. We cannot thank Premier enough for this award, and acknowledging the workmanship, hard work and dedication of our entire Project Team.

Working with well-established and trusted sub-contractors over many years is essential to the high standards of HSEQ. These sub-contractors know exactly how an EJT Construction site is run from tender stage enabling them to maximise their own efficiencies with respect to quality control, procedures and expectation.

We are also proud to say that, although only needing to achieve Secured By Design - Silver status, it has been expressed that the project is looking to be upgraded to Gold Status due to the design implemented and the finished product.

Going into a little bit more technical detail, are you able to tell us about the use of the swale system on the site and the why it was important?

The use of open natural water retention swale systems onsite was important to EJT for the vast ongoing gain in biodiversity.

This system will remain in place for the lifecycle of the development and will receive ongoing maintenance to ensure its performance both systematically and ecologically.

The ecological benefits from the presence of fresh water are immeasurable. This is the only body of fresh still water in a 1.6km radius, attracting a multitude of birds and other animals.

This area in particular had issues with localised flooding and the swale will not only collect surface water run-off but also naturally occurring ground water. Its controlled release into the existing water network will reduce the severity of previous flood events to existing local community

What can a homeowner be absolutely certain of when they move into an EJT Construction home?

They will be moving into a exceptionally-well constructed home, consisting of high-quality materials, built to a standard of workmanship and pride for which EJT is well known.

EJT Construction has a well-established Customer Care department which will ensure that the residents’ concerns are addressed swiftly and to the quality expected in an industry often tainted with bad press on snagging and accountability.

A comprehensive Home Users Guide Pack will be provided with every property and will include all relevant contact information for utilities, local area information, and a guide to the property itself.

And finally, what does the next 12 months and beyond look like for EJT Construction?

EJT Construction has a multitude of schemes for our contracting clients in the planning and pre-construction stages, ranging from 12 to 180 units. Additionally, the EJT Group has developments under its own brand 'Esmera Homes' which are in planning and construction stages. We’re excited to establish this Brand as a trusted and respected developer known for its commitment to quality and excellence.

We look forward to forging deeper relationships with Home Group by identify opportunities for collaboration and win more awards together, building on the exceptional achievements of Trinity Park.

We will continue our partnering relationship with Premier Guarantee, both in warranty and building control, and highly promote them as the leading provider of these services to our clients and purchasers alike.

We look forward to overcoming the challenges of 2024 and to a prosperous 2025 and beyond.

If you would like to learn more about EJT Construction and the services they provide, you can do so here.