Folkestone and Hythe District Council have admitted that preparatory work for the Princes Parade development, which will continue from next week when exploratory site investigations work begins could cause a bit of a stink.
However it says the latest phase will help provide information about the make-up of the site and inform the works required to prepare the area for leisure facilities and accessible open spaces which will benefit the whole district.
Investigations will involve sampling across the site at varying levels and depths using a number of different methods: mechanical trial pit excavation, window samples and vertical boreholes using cable percussion.
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To minimise disruption, a path will be cleared on the site to create a corridor to provide an access to individual work spaces. The vast majority of vegetation cleared for this important work is likely to grow back relatively quickly in the summer months.
A Folkestone & Hythe District Council spokesperson said: “As heavy equipment is needed for this type of investigation work, there will be some noise coming from the site – although there should not be any vibrations.
“Due to the nature of the site, there is a risk of the work generating some odour from the deposited materials for short periods during the first week. This will be very localised and minimised as much as possible by the teams on the ground.”
The contractor carrying out the investigations, BAM, have worked hard to ensure existing vegetation and habitat is not disturbed unless necessary. All operatives are trained and may be required to wear masks and paper suits as a safety precaution.
Ecology support will be provided before clearance work commences – this will include visual checks for nesting birds – and contingency plans are in place if required.
Work will only take place between 8am and 5pm on weekdays over a five-week period, beginning on Wednesday 24 March. We are expecting the investigations to be complete by 3 May 2021.
For more information about the Princes Parade scheme please visit www.folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/princesparade