Grey Mare Lane and other sites | Ground Investigation

As part of Manchester City Council’s “This City” initiative – an ambitious housebuilding programme aiming to deliver quality new homes – we were appointed by Mace to carry out detailed site investigations across four strategic sites in the city.

Project Overview

These developments are key to supporting the delivery of much-needed, high-quality and affordable homes for Manchester residents.

The sites investigated as part of this commission include:

• Monsall – earmarked for 750 new homes
• Grey Mare Lane – 136 new homes
• Hyde Road (Longsight) – 85 new homes
• Kirkmanshulme Lane (Longsight) – 64 new homes

At least 20% of the new homes will be affordable rent properties, with some let at the Manchester Living Rent level – supporting the Council’s mission to make good quality housing accessible for all.

Our Approach

We delivered a comprehensive ground investigation across all four locations to support design development and de-risk the pre-construction phase. The scope of work included:

• Rotary boreholes
• Cable percussive boreholes
• Window sample boreholes
• Machine-dug trial pits
• Soakaway testing
• Plate load testing
• Gas and groundwater monitoring
• Preparation of detailed factual reports for design teams

All works were delivered in alignment with project timescales, Health & Safety requirements, and without disruption to local communities.

Impact

Our investigations provided vital data to inform foundation design, drainage strategies, and contamination assessments. This allowed the design and delivery teams to proceed with confidence on a major programme of regeneration, directly contributing to Manchester’s ambition to create inclusive, sustainable neighbourhoods.

The work supports “This City’s” vision of driving growth while ensuring it benefits Manchester residents through accessible, well-built homes, raising the bar for urban development in the region.