Town Square & Winter Gardens

EJ McGrath delivered the public realm and groundworks package for the transformation of Weston-super-Mare’s Town Square and the historic Italian Gardens, a complex civic scheme self-delivered for main contractor Skanska on behalf of North Somerset Council, and completed in under eight months to a fixed client deadline.

EJ McGrath’s role

Working as public realm and groundworks subcontractor to Skanska, EJM took the scheme from a run-down, level-constrained site through bulk earthworks, drainage and surface-water management to a finished, high-specification civic space. The package brought together heavy civil engineering and fine finishing trades on a live town-centre site under tight programme pressure.

Scope of works

• Bulk level reduction, with over 3,000 tonnes of earth removed
• A new encapsulated attenuation tank holding around 250,000 litres of surface water
• New service ducting, plus ACO and Gatic drainage
• Roller-compacted concrete (RCC) base construction
• Relocation, restoration and extension of the historic Italian Garden walls
• Bespoke cast white concrete cladding, copings and an integral stage
• Iroko timber seating, granite kerbing and over 4,000m² of granite paving
• A high-volume illuminated feature fountain

Delivering on site

Sequencing was everything. EJM coordinated deep groundworks and attenuation installation ahead of the surfacing and stonework, integrating new drainage and ducting beneath thousands of square metres of granite paving while protecting and reinstating the gardens’ Italianate heritage features, all to a non-negotiable completion date.

Outcome

The result is a durable, high-quality civic square and restored Italian Gardens reconnected to the town centre. The completed scheme went on to win the Pedestrian Environment award in 2020, recognition of a complex public realm project delivered to a high standard and on programme.