The Building Safety Levy: What It Means for Developers
Churngold Helpdesk Churngold Helpdesk

The Building Safety Levy: What It Means for Developers

From 1 October 2026, every major residential development in England will carry a new cost. The Building Safety Levy adds a per square metre charge to every building control application for schemes of 10 or more dwellings, and there are no transitional provisions for projects that have not yet submitted their applications.

Read More
Site Clearance in Construction: What's Involved
Churngold Helpdesk Churngold Helpdesk

Site Clearance in Construction: What's Involved

Site clearance sounds simple. Strip the vegetation, clear the debris, hand over a clean platform. But on a live development project, the clearance phase is where ecological constraints, contamination surprises, and waste management obligations converge, and getting any of them wrong can hold up the entire construction programme.

Read More
CDM Regulations Explained: A Contractor’s Guide
Churngold Helpdesk Churngold Helpdesk

CDM Regulations Explained: A Contractor’s Guide

Every construction project in Great Britain falls under CDM. But the regulations are referenced far more often than they are understood, and the consequences of getting duties wrong land on the people who signed the contract, not the people who drafted the health and safety policy.

Read More
Early feasibility and managing construction risk from the start
Churngold Helpdesk Churngold Helpdesk

Early feasibility and managing construction risk from the start

Every construction project begins with a period of flexibility. Before budgets are approved. Before programmes are fixed. Before procurement limits options. This is the early feasibility stage. It is here that construction risk is either understood and managed, or quietly embedded into the project.

Read More
Understanding high groundwater levels on development sites
Churngold Helpdesk Churngold Helpdesk

Understanding high groundwater levels on development sites

High groundwater levels are a common feature of many development sites, particularly during winter and early spring. While often discussed late in the planning process, groundwater behaviour can have a significant influence on feasibility, programme certainty, and enabling strategy.

Read More
What is a Persistent Organic Pollutant?
Tina Peear Tina Peear

What is a Persistent Organic Pollutant?

When preparing brownfield or contaminated sites for redevelopment, one of the more complex challenges developers can face is the presence of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). These are not only hazardous, but also highly resistant to environmental breakdown - making them a long-term risk to health, ecosystems, and project viability if not dealt with correctly.

Read More
Invasive plant species on site - What you need to know before you build
Tina Peear Tina Peear

Invasive plant species on site - What you need to know before you build

Invasive plants can quietly derail even the most well-planned construction projects. Species like Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed might not look like much at first glance, but if left unmanaged, they can damage structures, delay programmes, and create costly legal and compliance issues.

Read More
Earthworks explained – from cut to fill
Tina Peear Tina Peear

Earthworks explained – from cut to fill

Before any structure rises from the ground, the land beneath it needs to be properly shaped, stabilised, and prepared. This is where earthworks come in - a critical early phase of construction that influences everything that follows.

Read More
Planning enabling works for complex sites
Tina Peear Tina Peear

Planning enabling works for complex sites

When it comes to large-scale construction or redevelopment, the groundwork starts long before the first foundation is poured. For complex or constrained sites, a carefully sequenced and well-managed enabling works package can make or break the success of the project.

Read More
Churngold’s approach to contaminated land
Tina Peear Tina Peear

Churngold’s approach to contaminated land

From brownfield regeneration to infrastructure delivery, contaminated land is a very common challenge across UK construction. At Churngold, we don’t just treat the ground, we help unlock the potential of your site.

Read More