Beever Road Affordable Housing Development, Tipton

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Transforming a challenging brownfield site into 18 high-quality affordable homes required more than good engineering. It required a team that could navigate floodplain constraints, unstable ground conditions and a complex regulatory landscape, while keeping a long-term public sector client on programme and on budget.

Egniol was appointed by Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC) as Civil and Structural Engineer from early concept through to construction completion, building on a seven-year working relationship under the council’s infrastructure framework.

The Challenge

The Beever Road site in Tipton presented a series of demanding technical constraints from the outset. Historic colliery activity had left deep made ground across the site, while proximity to Tipton Brook placed much of the development within a defined floodplain. Redundant public surface water sewers crossed the site, the ground sloped significantly, and the nearby Walsall Canal added further structural sensitivity to consider.

The development brief called for 18 homes – eight one-bedroom apartments and ten two-bedroom bungalows, with four properties built to full wheelchair accessibility standards. Delivering that on this particular site required careful, integrated thinking from day one.

Our Approach

Egniol led the detailed engineering design from RIBA Stage 2 through to Stage 5, working closely with SMBC’s in-house architects, the appointed contractor Harper & Sons (Leominster) Ltd, and a range of statutory stakeholders including the Environment Agency, Severn Trent Water, the Lead Local Flood Authority, the Canal & River Trust and Local Authority Building Control.

The civil engineering package covered adoptable access roads, pavements, parking and external works, along with a complete foul and surface water drainage network. Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) were central to the design: a linear bio-swale alongside the access road, permeable paving for driveways, underground attenuation tanks and floodplain compensation storage all worked together to capture runoff at source and reduce flows into Tipton Brook.

Flood risk was addressed through carefully set finished floor levels, compensatory flood storage and controlled discharge solutions developed in direct consultation with the Environment Agency. Late-stage regulatory challenges were resolved through collaborative engineering workshops, resulting in an agreed standalone surface water outfall.

On the structural and geotechnical side, Egniol defined load requirements for contractor-designed piled foundations and ground beams, coordinated retaining structures to manage level changes, and delivered superstructure designs for both the apartments and bungalows. Additional geotechnical work included slope stability assessments along Tipton Brook, structural impact reviews near the Walsall Canal, and site investigations carefully planned to avoid areas of Japanese Knotweed.

A key milestone was the CCTV drainage survey programme, which demonstrated a redundant culverted watercourse and enabled formal sewer de-vesting,unlocking construction within the apartment footprint. Low-vibration piling methods were introduced throughout to protect the adjacent canal infrastructure.ion continuing over a 12–24 month horizon to build the evidence needed for full compliance.

The Outcome

Eighteen affordable homes were delivered to a high specification, with sectional handovers from mid-2025 and full completion by late 2025. All four wheelchair-accessible dwellings were delivered to Part M4(2) standard. The homes achieved EPC A ratings for the bungalows and EPC B for the apartments, with photovoltaic panels and electric vehicle charging points installed throughout.

Drainage and highways infrastructure was designed to adoptable standards, reducing future maintenance liabilities for the council. Early risk identification across the project protected both the delivery programme and the budget, avoiding costly redesigns.

SMBC reported high satisfaction with Egniol’s collaborative approach, highlighting the team’s ability to manage regulatory complexity and maintain momentum, including through Covid-19 disruptions.