Seaham Garden Village – UAV Survey and Stockpile Volumetrics for One of the North East’s Largest Residential Programmes

1st June, '26

uav survey

stockpile volumetric analysis

What This Development Is

Seaham Garden Village is one of the most ambitious residential programmes in the North East – and one of the most genuinely sustainable. A joint venture between Taylor Wimpey, Miller Homes and Karbon Homes, the development will deliver 1,500 new homes on the Durham heritage coastline as part of the Government’s national Garden Village initiative, with an end value of £250 million.

At its heart is a pioneering mine water district heat network – harnessing geothermal energy from disused coal mines to supply ultra-low carbon heating across the village. Properties are built to high energy efficiency standards with triple glazing, EV charging points and solar PV panels. Half the 78-hectare site is dedicated to managed green space, with more than three miles of landscaped paths and cycle routes, alongside a new primary school, innovation centre, retail and a health and wellbeing hub.

750 of the 1,500 homes are affordable. A further 211 supported housing apartments – including extra-care and over-55s housing – have been approved by Durham County Council.

Before any of it could progress, the development team needed accurate aerial data and verified material volumes. That is where Tri-Tech came in.

What UAV Survey Delivers on a Programme of This Scale

A residential development delivering 1,500 homes across a coastal greenfield site moves fast. The development team needs accurate, up-to-date spatial data at pace – and on a site of this extent, ground-based survey methods alone cannot keep up with the programme.

Our primary scope at Seaham Garden Village was to deliver monthly stockpile reports – showing exactly what material was on site, where it was and how much of it there was at regular intervals throughout the programme. UAV surveying made that possible efficiently and safely, without requiring operatives to walk or climb potentially hazardous stockpile terrain on an active construction site.

For a coastal greenfield site with areas of difficult access and significant topographic variation across a large development footprint, UAV surveys deliver at a programme pace that matches what a major housebuilder actually needs. One mobilisation. Complete coverage. Data that feeds directly into design and programme management workflows.

Stockpile Volumetric Analysis

On a development of this scale, material management is a significant commercial consideration. Excavated material, retained topsoil, imported fill – knowing exactly what is on site at any given point in the programme is not just useful. It is essential for reconciliation, waste management reporting and commercial sign-off.

Our stockpile volumetric surveys gave the development team accurate, verified volume figures across the site – captured using UAV survey and processed into volume calculations that the commercial team could work from directly. The difference between an accurate stockpile volume and an estimated one compounds quickly across a programme running at this scale and pace. Verified data removes the uncertainty from material reconciliation and gives every party in the commercial chain a number they can stand behind.

The Development Today

Seaham Garden Village is a landmark 78-hectare sustainable development in County Durham delivering 1,500 energy-efficient homes over a 10-year programme. Located off the A182 on the Durham heritage coastline, it is one of the most ambitious residential communities being built anywhere in the North East.

The village features a zero-carbon district heat network drawing geothermal energy from disused coal mines beneath the site. Properties are built to high energy efficiency standards with triple glazing, EV charging points and solar PV panels. Approximately 50% of the site is dedicated to managed green space, with more than three miles of landscaped paths and cycle routes connecting the community.

750 of the 1,500 homes are affordable, delivered through Karbon Homes and Esh Group across affordable rent, Rent to Buy and Shared Ownership tenures. Durham County Council has also approved a £76 million supported housing community on the site, including extra-care and over-55s housing. Taylor Wimpey and Miller Homes are actively delivering the open-market phases, with show homes open and the development taking shape.
Streets that were fields when our team first flew this site are now communities. The UAV data and volumetric analysis Tri-Tech delivered supported the development team at a critical stage of a programme that is changing what Seaham looks like – and what it will look like for generations to come.

project data

location

Seaham, County Durham

client

Taylor Wimpey

programme value

£250 million

scale

1,500 new homes including 750 affordable homes

sector

Housing and Residential Development

services delivered

UAV Survey · Stockpile Volumetric Analysis

programme type

Aerial survey and commercial material management support on an active residential development

initiative

Part of the Government's national Garden Village programme

Tri-Tech has delivered survey programmes for some of the most active residential developers in Yorkshire and the North East – including topographic survey, UAV survey, PAS 128 utility mapping, cut and fill analysis, stockpile surveys and setting out engineering from a directly employed, multi-skilled team with experience across the full spectrum of residential scale and complexity. Every programme is quality assured and checked by experienced senior and management staff. If you are bringing a residential programme forward in Yorkshire, the North East or beyond – at any stage from land acquisition to construction – we would welcome the conversation. .

The earlier we are involved, the more useful we can be.