Soil Stack Installation and Underground Drainage at Lewisham Park Towers
Project Snapshot
| Client | Axis on behalf of L&Q (London and quadrant) |
|---|---|
| Sector | Construction |
| Location | Lewisham Park Towers, London |
| Services | Soil stack installation, underground drainage, site welfare drainage connections |
| Duration | 2 years (4 phases) |
| Value | Approx. £800k (drainage scope) |
| Challenge | Full soil stack replacement across three occupied towers, coordinating drainage works with cladding and internal refurbishment programmes running simultaneously |
Overview
Lewisham Park Towers is a three-tower residential site undergoing a comprehensive regeneration. The scope includes full cladding replacement, internal refurbishments to kitchens and bathrooms across all properties, and the complete relocation of soil stacks.
LDF were engaged to deliver the drainage element: new soil stacks running the full height of all three towers, underground drainage connections for every property, and three temporary site welfare installations. The project is structured across four phases over two years, with drainage works coordinated alongside the cladding and refurbishment programmes.
The total drainage value is approximately £800k.
The Challenge
Replacing soil stacks across three residential towers is not a straightforward programme. The infrastructure runs the full height of each building, meaning the works span multiple floors, require careful sequencing, and need to integrate cleanly with both the new cladding and the internal bathroom and kitchen refurbishments happening at the same time.
The challenge for LDF was threefold. First, the groundworks: installing the bases of the new stacks and connecting them to the main underground drainage system. Second, the structural preparation: getting brackets and fixings in place across the full height of each tower ahead of stack installation, working in coordination with the cladding contractor. Third, the installation itself: fitting the full-height stacks and preparing connections for individual property hook-ups, ahead of the final phase in which each property transitions to the new stack system.
At every stage, LDF’s scope had to be planned around other contractors working on the same building at the same time.
Our Approach
The project is delivered across four sequential phases, each with a defined scope and timeline.
Phase 1 (completed March 2024): LDF laid the groundwork for the full soil stack programme. This phase focused on installing the bases of the new stacks at ground level and connecting them to the main underground drainage system, establishing the foundation the rest of the programme builds on.
Phase 2 (Summer 2024): With the underground connections in place, the team installed brackets and fixings throughout the height of the towers, ready to receive the new stacks. This phase ran concurrently with cladding installation by Clait, requiring close coordination to ensure both programmes could progress without conflict.
Phase 3 (Early 2025): The main stack installation phase. LDF fitted the new soil stacks across the full height of all three towers, with connections prepared for individual property hook-ups. This is the most technically demanding phase of the programme: the stacks need to align precisely with both the underground connections below and the property-level connections above.
Phase 4 (August 2025): The final phase transitioned each property to the new stack system and capped off the existing infrastructure, completing the switch across all three towers.
In addition to the phased stack programme, LDF installed three separate drainage systems to serve temporary site welfare facilities, including pipework prepared for connection by plumbing contractors, to keep the site operational throughout the works.
The Outcome
Phases 1 to 4 have been completed on programme. All three towers now have new soil stacks running their full height, with every property connected to a modern, compliant underground drainage system.
The drainage scope ran to programme alongside the cladding and refurbishment works, with LDF coordinating its phased delivery around the wider contractor programme throughout.
About This Project Type
Multi-phase drainage programmes on occupied residential towers require a contractor who can plan around other trades, work to tight sequencing, and maintain consistent quality of installation across a long project timeline.
At Lewisham Park Towers, the drainage scope is directly interdependent with the cladding and refurbishment programmes: stack bases before cladding brackets, brackets before stacks, stacks before individual property connections. Each phase has to be completed correctly for the next to proceed. That requires a level of planning and programme awareness that goes beyond a straightforward installation job.
LDF works with housing associations, local authorities, and main contractors on drainage programmes within larger regeneration and refurbishment projects. For multi-phase or multi-building scopes, the team can manage the full drainage programme from groundworks through to final connections, coordinating with wider site programmes throughout.
Work with LDF
Call our 24-hour helpline: 0800 612 2179
Or visit: london-drainage.com/installation-works
Some images on this page have been digitally enhanced to improve resolution.