Supporting Waterfront Regeneration: UXO Insights from Everton’s New Stadium Development

When Everton Football Club announced the redevelopment of Bramley Moore Dock, it marked the beginning of one of the UK’s most exciting regeneration projects in recent years. However, long before the first foundations could be poured, the dock itself presented a very different challenge – the potential presence of historic unexploded ordnance (UXO).

Brimstone UXO was brought in during the early stages to support the delivery of a safe and efficient programme. The site’s location, within one of Liverpool’s most historically significant dock areas, meant that UXO risks could not be ignored. During the Second World War, Liverpool handled 90% of the nation’s wartime imports and became one of the Luftwaffe’s primary targets. Even though there were no direct UXO records for Bramley Moore Dock, the risk of buried ordnance in the sediment remained high.

Planning the operation

“We knew from the outset that working in a dock environment with ongoing marine traffic would make this an operationally complex project,” explains Jock Forde, Brimstone’s Operations Manager. “It wasn’t just about undertaking a UXO survey; it was about building a methodology that would allow us to work around a live construction environment without impacting the wider programme.”

The survey itself was completed using a remote-operated vehicle (ROV), supported by magnetic detection systems and USBL (Ultra-Short Baseline) acoustic tracking to enable precise mapping.

Day-to-day in the dock

The survey teams operated from the dockside, with the survey data reviewed at the end of each day by Brimstone geophysicists. “That daily data flow was essential,” says Adam Tanner, Brimstone’s Associate Director. “It allowed us to provide the client with detailed progress updates and meant there were no surprises when the time came to mobilise for investigation.”

The ROV survey identified 170 potential targets. Although some areas proved difficult to access, especially around tugboat moorings and old dock walls, the majority of the dock bed was successfully mapped. The next step was to identify which of those targets required intervention.

From ROV to diver investigation

To investigate priority targets, Brimstone returned to site and worked alongside Dagger Diving. “Our EOD engineers supervised the dive operations closely,” says Jock. “The team needed to differentiate between harmless metallic debris and items of genuine concern, which is where experience really comes into its own.”

As part of that methodology, Brimstone deployed two floating pontoons operating 24 hours a day. This allowed the team to meet the tight timescales required and ensured full coverage of the survey area.

Over 400 potential targets were investigated in total, as overlapping signals and previously masked items became apparent. The result was 12 confirmed items of UXO being discovered and removed, including an intact 40mm Bofors round. All disposals were completed in-situ by the Army EOD unit.

Delivering assurance and enabling progress

Once all pile locations were confirmed clear, an ALARP certificate was issued to the client. The UXO risk level for the site was successfully reduced from medium/high to low, allowing construction to continue safely and without restriction.

“We take real pride in supporting major projects like this,” says Adam. “Our job is often behind the scenes, but it’s critical to keeping complex development programmes moving. Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium is a landmark project for the region and it’s been a privilege to play a part in it.”

Supporting regeneration projects

Brimstone’s work at Bramley Moore Dock is one of several recent projects where we’ve supported large-scale regeneration in historically complex environments. By combining proven technical expertise with flexible on-site delivery, we help construction teams push forward with confidence.

If you’re planning a regeneration or waterfront development and would like to discuss potential UXO considerations, our Commercial Team would be happy to help.

Email: enquire@brimstoneuxo.com

Call: 0207 117 2492

Drop us a message: www.brimstoneuxo.com/contact

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