Enfield company Cognition Land and Water is playing a “key role” in clearing ex-industrial sites and will even be utilising a robotic AI-driven excavator in a first for the UK

Work is underway at Meridian Water to deliver a series of infrastructure works that will help support the future delivery of thousands of new homes across the sprawling site.

Taylor Woodrow is delivering a £120m strategic infrastructure contract for the regeneration project, which is being led by Enfield Council.

The contract covers an extensive range of works over two years, including the river naturalisation, two new parks, bridges, footpaths, road, and cycle links.

Work has been underway on the first phase of Meridian Water, called ‘Meridian One’, for the past three years, with the first 20 homes completed last year and many more set to be completed this year. Work on future phases of the scheme, however, first requires significant clearance work to take place on a series of ex-industrial sites.

As part of this, £28m has been spent through local suppliers, including Enfield Lock-based firm Cognition Land and Water, which won a £22m contract for the earthworks, remediation and works to naturalise Pymmes Brook, which will flow through a new park at the centre of Meridian Water. A major part of the works will be breaking out of a section of the concrete channel that currently carries the stream.

Cognition will also play a “key role” with clearing, remediating and reprofiling slabs for residential and new commercial buildings. The company will even be utilising a robotic AI-driven excavator, described as “a major feat” and the first use of the technology in the UK.

Huge stockpiles, estimated to be over 10,000m3, of a wide variety of illegally placed wastes that had accumulated on the unoccupied and derelict site over many years needed removing. The materials included construction and demolition wastes, domestic waste such as plastic, timber and clothing, mattresses, old tyres, fridges and washing machines.

The work was further complicated by the presence of several invasive species within and around the stockpiles, which first needed to be treated and segregated.

Simon Milligan, Taylor Woodrow’s project director, said: “I look forward to working closely with Cognition to deliver the earthworks and remediation element of this exciting project, whilst also pushing some boundaries in AI and robotics.”

Penny Halliday, director of Meridian Water, said: “Taylor Woodrow continues to embrace our commitment for Meridian Water to benefit local businesses and residents. It is great to see a local based contractor, play such a pivotal role in the construction of the infrastructure that will enable the building of more homes and creation of more employment.”

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