Groundworks
Site clearance in Southport and the North West
Plots cleared for building, from an overgrown back garden to a full development site. Vegetation, rubble, old concrete and topsoil taken off, muck away on our own grab lorries, and the ground left level and ready for the next job.
What we clear
Every plot is different. This is what we usually find on one, and what happens to it.
Vegetation
Brambles, scrub, overgrowth and roots, dug out with the machine rather than cut off at the surface, so they do not come back through your new slab or drive.
Rubble and hardcore
Piles of brick and broken concrete left from old buildings or past work. Loaded straight onto our grab lorries.
Old concrete and foundations
Old slabs, hardstanding, paths and the footings of buildings that have come down, broken out so they do not get in the way of the new foundations.
Topsoil
Stripped off where the building or drive will go. Topsoil is too soft to build on, so it comes off first. It can be kept in a heap on site for the garden later, or taken away.
Rubbish
Fly-tipped waste and general rubbish dumped on the plot, sorted and taken to licensed sites.
Levelling
Once it is clear, the ground is graded level and left ready for the next job, whether that is foundations, a drive or a new lawn.
Muck away on our own grab lorries
A grab lorry is a tipper lorry with its own crane and grab on the back. It loads itself, so it does not need a skip on the road or a digger to fill it.
Ours only work on our own jobs. We do not hire them out. When we clear your site, taking the waste away is part of the job, and you deal with one firm from start to finish.
Machines from a 1 tonne micro digger up to 50 tonne excavators, all with a ticketed operator, so we can match the machine to the plot.
Licensed to carry your waste
We are registered with the Environment Agency as an upper-tier waste carrier. That is the licence a firm needs to carry other people's waste, including building and demolition waste.
Every load goes to a licensed site with a waste transfer note, the record that proves where it went. That matters to you: if waste from your land gets fly-tipped by an unregistered carrier, the fine can land on you.
Check these before a plot is cleared
Four things that can stop a clearance job or land someone with a fine. Better to know before the machines arrive.
Nesting birds
It is against the law to damage or destroy a nest while birds are using it, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Most birds nest from about March to August, so hedges and scrub are checked before they come out. Plan big vegetation clearance for autumn or winter if you can.
Protected trees
Some trees have a tree preservation order on them, and every tree in a conservation area is protected. You need the council's consent, or to give six weeks' notice in a conservation area, before one comes down. Check with the council first.
Japanese knotweed
Not illegal to have on your land, but it is an offence to let it spread into the wild, and the soil it grows in counts as controlled waste. It cannot just go on a lorry with the rest. If we spot it, we stop and tell you, and it needs a proper plan.
Asbestos
Old garages, sheds and outbuildings often had asbestos cement sheets. These must be dealt with by the right people before clearance starts. If you are not sure, get it checked first.
How a site clearance works
- 1
Look at the plot
What is on it, how big it is, how we get machines and lorries in, and anything that needs checking first, like nests, trees or buried pipes and cables.
- 2
Written quote
What we are clearing, what is being taken away, and what is being kept on site.
- 3
Clear it
The right size digger for the plot, from a 1 tonne micro digger for a back garden to a big machine for a building site.
- 4
Muck away
Loaded onto our own grab lorries and taken to licensed sites, with a waste transfer note for every load.
- 5
Leave it level
Graded and tidy, ready for foundations, a drive, a base or a new lawn.
Questions people ask
What is site clearance?
Getting a piece of land ready for building or landscaping. It means taking off everything in the way: vegetation, rubble, old concrete, old foundations, rubbish and usually the topsoil, then leaving the ground level. It is the first job on almost every building site.
Do you take the waste away?
Yes. We take it away on our own grab lorries as part of the job, so there are no skips to order, no skip permits for the road, and no waiting for a separate haulier. We are registered with the Environment Agency as an upper-tier waste carrier.
Do you hire out your grab lorries?
No. Our grab lorries only work on our own jobs. If we are clearing your site or doing your groundworks, muck away is included in what we do.
Why does the waste carrier licence matter to me?
By law, whoever produces waste has to give it to a registered carrier. That includes homeowners. If an unregistered "man with a van" fly-tips your rubbish, you can be fined. You can check any firm on the Environment Agency's public register before you book them.
What is a waste transfer note?
A short record that goes with each load of waste, saying what it is, where it came from and who took it. It proves the waste was handled properly. Businesses have to keep them for two years.
Can you clear a back garden or a small plot?
Yes. We have machines from a 1 tonne micro digger, which fits through a garden gate, up to 50 tonne excavators for big sites, so the size of the plot is rarely a problem. Access for the grab lorry is what we check first.
What about pipes and cables under the plot?
We check the plans for buried services before we dig, and treat old sites with care, because pipes and cables are not always where the plans say they are.
Can I keep the topsoil?
Often, yes. Good topsoil can be stripped and kept in a heap on site to go back on the garden once the building work is done. Tell us at the start and we will plan for it.
What affects the price?
How much is on the plot and what it is, how much needs taking away, access for machines and lorries, and anything that needs special handling. We give a written quote after looking at the site.
Also worth a look
Send us a photo of the plot
Phone lines open Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm, Saturday 8am to 1pm. WhatsApp a photo of the job any time.