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Valued at £13.5 million and spanning 18 buildings, the project, delivered for main contractor Bouygues UK, required extensive earthworks, foundations, external drainage, attenuation systems, service trenching, reinforced concrete retaining walls and all external hard landscaping.
Despite 64 days of rain over four months, McCoy’s maintained programme momentum through innovation, collaboration, and exceptional site leadership, ensuring the project remained firmly on track.
Innovative Ground Stabilisation
One of the project’s defining challenges was the impact of persistent heavy rainfall on ground conditions. Traditional methods risked significant delays, but McCoy’s implemented an innovative stabilisation strategy using recycled stone and cement‑based techniques. This approach improved ground stability in saturated conditions, reduced the need for imported materials, supporting the project’s sustainability objectives and enabled continuous progress despite adverse weather.
The effectiveness of this solution was demonstrated in the early release of all 18 ground floor slabs, allowing a re-sequence of the Construction Programme with acceleration of the works to finish ahead of schedule. This milestone accelerated the wider programme, allowing follow‑on trades to begin sooner and reducing overall project risk.
Programme Betterment and Enhanced Site Conditions
The early Slab delivery ensured the steel frame erection dates were secured. The improved working platform created by McCoy’s stabilisation methods also enhanced safety and efficiency for subsequent trades, outperforming what traditional construction methods would have allowed.
Collaboration and Leadership
Strong leadership was central to the project’s success. Clear direction, commitment to quality and proactive engagement with Bouygues UK and the design teams ensured seamless coordination and consistent progress.
McCoy’s collaborative approach, particularly during pre‑construction, helped shape the programme strategy, combining earthworks and groundworks into a single, efficient package. Regular planning sessions enabled the team to navigate constraints and capitalise on opportunities as they arose.
Health, Safety, and Social Value
McCoy maintained an exceptional safety record throughout the project, achieving zero accidents. Further, demonstrating a commitment to social value, 92% of local labour was sourced from within 20 miles and 89% local spend was also within 20 miles.
This commitment to local employment and sustainable sourcing strengthened the project’s social value impact and supported the regional economy.
McCoy’s leadership was further recognised with the company Project Manager, Simon Child’s receiving the Bouygues UK Supply Chain Respect Award, acknowledging his teams role in trialling new safety innovations and driving continuous improvement.
Jack Chami, Senior Project Manager, Bouygues UK commented, “Simon took a bold step by agreeing to trial new safety innovations. His dedication to leveraging feedback and data has driven improvements in health and safety standards on this project. The hard work and innovative spirit of the McCoy’s team have truly made a difference on this project.”
Outcome
The Cotswolds Designer Outlet project stands as a testament to McCoy Contractors’ resilience, technical expertise, and commitment to innovation. By overcoming extreme weather, accelerating programme delivery and maintaining outstanding safety and sustainability standards, McCoy has demonstrated the qualities that set it apart from other groundwork, earthwork and civil engineering contractors.
“McCoy’s early engagement allowed us to make critical decisions that shaped the programme. Their willingness to take on both earthworks and groundworks seamlessly kept the project on track. The decision to push the floor slabs ahead of the steel frames was another key success, saving time and reducing risk. The McCoy’s team are approachable, knowledgeable and honest, always working with us to optimise programme and maximise activity.”
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