Spanning 15 acres, this stunning development is being undertaken for Hopkins Homes Ltd. 

The site, on Remembrance Avenue, was previously a sand and gravel extraction area. It has been backfilled and is now being transformed into a thriving residential and commercial community. 

Once complete, Hopkins Homes at Beaulieu will provide 167 houses, four apartment blocks, and one commercial block. Of these, 69 units will be affordable or offered under shared ownership schemes. The development will also include 1,098m of new carriageway and footways, with the ground floor of the commercial block set to house small-scale retail units. 

Construction began in July 2024 and is scheduled for completion in February 2026, a build programme lasting 78 weeks. 

The work involves installing 3,235m of surface and foul water drainage, up to 3m below ground level, with pipes as large as 1200mm in diameter. Roads are being built to Essex Highway adoption standards, featuring both tarmac and block-paved surfaces. 

Due to challenging ground conditions, the majority of structures required continuous flight auger (CFA) piled foundations. A total of 1,879 piles, each 300mm in diameter, have been installed. 

Demonstrating a commitment to sustainability, piling rig will later be lifted and repurposed as sub-base material for private external works. This not only reduced project costs but also minimised the need for importing materials and decreased lorry movements on local roads. Where ground conditions allowed, 59 units were constructed using more traditional strip foundations. 

Block ‘U3’ features complex construction, including reinforced concrete pads, beams, walls, columns, and a podium slab. Across the site, 4,462m³ of structural concrete has been used for foundations, RC frames, and retaining walls. 

Sit Mangers for this project are Rob Deans and Scott Keeble, with a team of 40 MACL employees and 20 subcontractors.