Client: South Kesteven District Coucil
Project Value: £4m | Location: Grantham
Mercer Building Solutions is delivering the Drewry Lane development in Derby, transforming the former city-centre Drewry Lane car park, once one of the council’s least-used parking sites, into 12 new affordable homes. The scheme forms part of the five-site, 57-unit programme Mercer is constructing across Derby.
The development provides six two-bed houses and six one-bed apartments, all designed with MBS’s low-carbon construction approach, incorporating enhanced insulation, solar PV and sustainable heating systems. Works began in November 2024 and the homes are due to complete in January 2026.
Working on a constrained urban site has required meticulous planning. MBS implemented a detailed traffic and delivery management strategy, agreed contractor parking arrangements with the neighbouring Lidl store to reduce congestion, and maintained strict control of dust, noise and working hours to minimise disruption to residents and local businesses.
The project has also faced a number of technical challenges, including redesigning unbuildable balcony details, coordinating complex steelwork, adapting to evolving fire-stopping requirements under the Building Safety Act and resolving a major redesign following the discovery of a sewer easement beneath the proposed apartment block. MBS fast-tracked the programme to recover early delays, ensuring the project remained on schedule.
As part of MBS’s commitment to best-practice delivery, the team has taken a proactive approach to stakeholder engagement throughout the project. Regular communication with local businesses, residents and the client team has ensured that any potential impacts have been managed effectively, supporting a smooth construction phase on this highly visible city-centre site.
