I need to clear out the yard at my wotk place, this consists of a hill of soil with trees. Asking demolition people and the average estimate is around 20k to clear it all up.

Im thinking of buying a digger truck and doing it myself if i can find a way of disposing of the soil.
The soil is (seems) all natural without any contamination. Does anyone know of any alternatives?

Any help is very much appreciated :)

My old man works for a specialist demolition company. Given what he's talked about on jobs, you'd need licenses just to think about dumping it somewhere, let alone move the stuff.

I'll ask him but I don't think it'll be a nice answer.

Most of the timber they get from jobs they deliver FOC to farmers to burn as that's cheaper than landfill.

Advertise it somewhere? There must be some people with large holes that need filling? Council / Highways Agency?

are you on a water meter?

just turn it into sloppy mud and flirt it down the grid :D

Put it down your trousers, making sure your socks are on the outside. Up the road shake a leg and the soil disappears. Saw this in a film once:) Might take a while though.

Seriously though talk to the council who might accept the soil as waste at your local tip. It cannot be considered 'clean' unless tested. Probably easier to dispose of to a farmer or similar who needs it. What volume are you looking at? Should go to a licensed site or big fines. All you will save is the transport cost so doubt it is a worthwhile exercise to dispose of the soil yourself.

when my dad dug out his front garden to extend the driveway he put an add up for free top soil on the roadside...we thought he was mad but he shiffted tonnes to alsorts of ppl from pikies in trucks to some little old bloke on a bike that wanted it for his window box. he just left a spade out for them!!

Ask your local farmers. Many round here have chalk pits etc. in their wood that they would be glad to have filled with dirt - especially if you give them a few beers in return.


Did the pikies not nick the spade as well ?!?!?!

[Edited by Goochie - 1/8/2004 1:18:19 PM]

The firm my husband works for always gets rid of masses soil/rubble to farmers to fill in holes. Some farmers even approach them and ask.

Why not take the michael completely? Big billboard, "Soil - as much as you can take for a tenner". Sit on your butt, watch someone else do the work, and get PAID for them to do it!

I paid cash to a bloke from the water utility people who are always digging up our roads who shifted approx 40 tonnes of muck and stuff for £50 a load (he did it in 4 loads). If you see any roadworks nearby, approach the grab-wagon driver !

PSML @ MJ and Speedking.

ChrisB i'd be intrested to hear advice from your old man,eventhough it may not be what i want to hear :)

Its too much soil for someone to collect for gardens etc
The covered area is roughly about 5000 square ft and about 40ft in height so its alot of soil.
I think finding a farmer who needs to fill a ditch in the woods would be my best bet...

Many thanks for all the advice everyone :)

anymore ideas?

:eek: thanks for all the quick replies everyone :D
MJW , RedKop... your advice seems to be the best way to go by or i fork out £££ (i dont have at the mo) and get it done.

Many Thanks :)

My dad done the same as MJW when we laid a drive on the house. :D

Franko, where abouts are you based in "Gods own County"?

Why do bloody tykes always refer to yorkshire as " gods own country " ?

Its nowhere near as nice as Cheshire.

Don't say I don't know what I'm on about either, I've been to Pudsey!

A demolition company etc will charge a lot because of that lovely "landfill tax" there now is.

Only sensible answer is to see if a local famer wants it and can collect, although I have a suspicion that technically this is illegal under dumping of waste rules.

You may need to think about planning consent before even starting work by the way!

Ah the Pudsey defense! a strong and valid one but it is easily countered by the Dales or North York Moors counter attack :). I worked for a utility firm for a while in between office jobs and it is amazingly easy to get a Grab wagon to remove alsorts if the right kind of incentive is offered;) it will get the Grab driver in to trouble if they get caught by their employers but this is rare. The guys I worked with were forever doing jobs on the side like this, adding any spoil to what they were already carrying and passing it off as spoil from the jobs they were working on. Franko, drop me mail as per profile and I will tell you which firm to look out for.

phone your local golf courses,

If they have course or renovation plans they need tonnes of the stuff, My dad used to get stuff dumped for free at a golf course being constructed. they would take hardcore and soil.

Long shot but you could ask any turf farms in the area as they take soil in quantity but obviously needs to be decent quality. I think you should find a free and legitimate home for it along lines suggested especially if you can deliver. DL

Assuming uniform depth:
5000 x 40 = 200,000ft³ = 5700m³ :eek:
= approx. 9,000t of soil (say 500 wagon loads) depending on how wet etc.

That is a hell of a lot of soil. It is not going to disappear if you leave a sign and a spade by it, unless you are prepared o wait for a very long time:)

The laws are extremly strict as regards the disposal of material such as you are talking about.

The owner is responsible 100% to ensure that they are disposed of correctly.

I seem to think the fines are heavey and that you can go inside.

I know that i have disposed of material and it has cost a lot of money and also the paperwork involved is substancial.

P.S. The problem is when the spoil is removed from the site, if you can dispose of it on site you will not have a problem.

[Edited by John Catlin - 1/8/2004 5:31:09 PM]

i believe that this lot may be able to help you out in this situation. just don't be surprised if you see your mound of soil re-appear in piles located in various cul-de-sacs, roadside verges etc in your locality. this is one of the unexpected benefits of the landfill tax, btw.

:)


[Edited by ProperCharlie - 1/8/2004 5:35:36 PM]

Pass the word around that Osama Bin Laden is hiding in it, then wait for one of these

20k sounds about right actually quite cheap.
This is purely about supply and demand and i have been in both positions.

once had to erect a huge sound barrier between industrial and residential sites about a quarter of a mile long and about 12 foot high in Long Eaton and could charge people to tip subsoil and basically got it done for free.

but i have also had to pay to have smaller sites filled for ground levels ( rarer but it does happen ).
depends on who is building what at the time ie banking for road works/flood plains etc or big holes being dug ie channel tunnel to name one

Mr Lizard,

ok, but One prefers this baby:

http://rob.com/matt/videos/JavelinLiveFireVsT72.mpg

PSML at some of you guys.
Got the architect coming round on tuesday and push forward plans for approval for removing trees and the soil...

JR55 you have mail :)

Thank You everyone for your views and info :D

give me a shout, you can dump it outside my neighbours house !! Stop 'em from driving his untaxed Beemmer !!
;)

Just dig a hole and put it in there