Long Marston & Meon Vale

On the edge of Stratford-upon-Avon, Long Marston forms part of a larger community taking shape on old MoD land. Cala Homes, Bovis Homes/Vistry Group and GreenSquareAccord are currently building neighbouring developments, adding roughly 4,500 homes.

St Modwen appointed Wakemans in 2008 as lead PM, QS and Principal Designer for Meon Vale and the connecting infrastructure, covering enabling works, phased remediation, highways, utilities, greenspace and community infrastructure across the estate. The commission has continued for nearly two decades and remains active today, making it one of the longest-running Principal Designing, Project Management and Quantity Surveying appointments in the Midlands residential sector.

The site presented a complex matrix of constraints from the outset: ground contamination and buried structures from former MoD use, live statutory authority services, ecological designations and significant archaeological constraints. At acquisition there was no mains gas connection, an inadequate power supply requiring a full HV ring main upgrade, and access roads insufficient for a development of this scale.

The wider Long Marston context added coordination complexity beyond the Meon Vale boundary. The shared access corridor and Greenway infrastructure had to serve not only St Modwen’s phased land release programme but the broader emerging community, requiring Wakemans to work across developer boundaries and manage interfaces well beyond a conventional single-site appointment. Sustained stakeholder engagement with existing industrial park occupiers ensured their access remained open throughout, with construction coordinated around their operational needs. Planning conditions imposed S38, S278 and S106 obligations with multiple statutory bodies, all requiring active management alongside live construction, and housebuilder plot release schedules, which were directly dependent on timely infrastructure delivery.

Wakemans established a structured programme across six workstreams, each procured and managed as a distinct contract within a single integrated project plan:

• Ecological Surveys and Species Mitigation: Prior to enabling works, Wakemans handled the licensed ecological mitigation, including the provision of bat houses, surveying and relocating the water vole population, and running archaeological watching briefs over parts of the site that had seen former MoD activity. By working closely with Natural England and the ecology and archaeology teams at Warwickshire County Council, Wakemans ensured all the licensed works were signed off before the main programme began, thereby making sure the project avoided delays from any unresolved constraints.
• Demolition and Remediation (Phases 1 to 4): Wakemans managed demolition across all former MoD structures, including liaison and coordination with the industrial estate tenants, coordinating the ground remediation verification process with Warwickshire County Council across all four phases. Remediation was sequenced to align with the phased land release programme, keeping each parcel on track for handover. Coordination with Severn Trent Water for new drainage infrastructure ensured no programme conflict.
• S38 Road and Services Infrastructure (Phases 1 to 4): Wakemans procured and managed the full S38 highway adoption programme across all phases, liaising with WCC Highways to obtain Technical Approvals. Spine roads were delivered in coordination with MEP and statutory authority service installations, ensuring utilities were in the ground ahead of plot handover. Monthly steering group meetings and CDM workshops maintained Health & Safety standards across the shared site.
• Offsite Gas Main Installation (9km Route): With no mains gas supply at acquisition, Wakemans managed procurement and delivery of a 9km offsite gas main serving the full development. Coordination with WCC Highways, the Planning Authority and affected local businesses was managed throughout, with the connection delivered in time for live plot connections.
• HV Ring Main Installation: The DNO required a full HV ring main upgrade to provide power resilience. Wakemans managed the MEP Utilities Consultant, civils design team and statutory authorities from design and procurement through to delivery, incorporating builders’ works within the main civils contracts to drive programme and cost efficiency. Delivered on time and within budget.
• Greenway and Community Infrastructure: Wakemans managed delivery of the strategic Greenway connecting Meon Vale to the wider Long Marston community and onward to Stratford-upon-Avon, including deculverting of the Meon Brook, new footbridge links, flood meadow, attenuation ponds, sports pitches, forest walks, play areas, allotments, a skate park, and refurbishment of the Community Hall and Pavilion. Together, these facilities create a genuine network of shared community space, giving residents across the wider community, not just the Meon Vale parcel, places to walk, play and gather.

Over nearly two decades, Wakemans has helped deliver one of the Midlands’ most successful large-scale residential communities, with every phase delivered within budget and to programmes protecting plot release schedules. Early engagement with WCC Highways, Severn Trent Water and the Environment Agency, bundled builders works, and proactive steering group and CDM coordination kept programme coherence across a multi-housebuilder environment.