Selly Oak Shopping Park
and Student Accommodation
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Location: Birmingham
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Sector: Accommodation
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Division: Regional building
The regeneration of Battery Park in Selly Oak, Birmingham is undoubtedly one of the most noteworthy contributions to the city of Birmingham in 2019. The level of commitment required to overcome the significant land challenges associated with this site has to be one of the foremost reasons why this is such a remarkable project.
The prominent 7.17 hectare site had remained abandoned since the 1980s following the decline of metal factories. Development partners, The Harvest Partnership (a Landsec and Sainsbury’s joint venture) worked in collaboration with Tilbury Douglas for over a year prior to the build to develop a honed and innovative approach to make the site viable for a long lasting and inclusive development.
The multi-use development aims to serve the varying needs of the Selly Oak community, a growing area of the city that is home to the prestigious redbrick campus of University of Birmingham, and a variety of industrial and cultural heritage assets within the popular residential district.
The site is now home to a 14 store drive-in Shopping Centre, one of which includes the only Sainsbury’s flagship store outside of London; and a 418 unit high-end student accommodation, adopted by Unite Students; forming a high quality beacon on the Selly Oak skyline.
In consideration of the wider site we also worked closely with community stakeholders, The Lapal Canal Trust; undertaking significant ground and structural works to make provision for the reinstatement of the former Dudley Canal route, re-establishing the historical waterway.
The high quality design and materiality developed in collaboration with Glenn Howells Architects and Piper Whitlock Associates is one of timeless quality that will serve generations of Selly Oak residents for years to come.
At a glance...
£71m
Project value
August 2019
Completion date
Landsec
Client
Programme achievements
The delivery of the Battery Park site was a phased delivery, with the retail element completing within a 12 month agreed programme in September 2018. This was a demanding programme, with 28 individual formal sign-offs to fulfil.
Overcoming major remedial and contamination issues, highways issues, and an onsite power substation alongside high pressure gas mains were just a few of the challenges. Solving these issues has required innovative and agile thinking; from the pre-cast off-site solution to specifically designed cranes to deal with the site situation and overhead power cables.
The final handover on the student accommodation ran eight weeks over the original programme, but still managed to hand over in time for the Unite Student’s term-time occupation. The delay was caused by the unexpected discovery of a gas main, which initially delayed the programme by 18 weeks. The team worked with speed and efficiency to claw back on 10 weeks of programme, eventually finishing with an eight week extension, as agreed with the client. The student accommodation handed over with less than 200 snags in the 16230 m2 building, evidencing that a high quality was maintained nonetheless.
Social value
The magnitude of delivering such a significant project was a key opportunity to create a legacy. We worked closely in terms of the social value credentials. Designed and built with the community in mind, the scheme has involved the people of Selly Oak from it’s inception. Delivered by Tilbury Douglas with extensive social and educational benefits, the inclusive approach to the delivery has assisted in the welcomed presence of this significant new development within the existing vernacular.
We worked with Birmingham City Council to understand where we could bring the most value in the Selly Oak area. Tasked with an area of deprivation and high levels of NEETs, we partnered with local community groups, the Job Centre and Sense charity. Working with people with complex needs, Sense charity initiated a programme for those with complex disabilities. This resulted in Tilbury Douglas roles in hospitality, customer service and administration; including working with plans and understanding civil engineering. One particular individual had severe sight and hearing impairment, communicating only through sign language. This resulted in training basic sign language for staff and visitors with a British Sign Language trainer to learn simple phrases.
Tilbury Douglas surpassed the council’s targets by 260% resulting in;
- £364,000 in social value
- Community activity engaging over 3000 individuals
- Training weeks target 166 actual 252
- Work placements target 19 actual 32
- Apprentices and graduates target 5 actual 11
Barriers to employment (young people)
In partnership with BCC, we supported groups of up to 10 young people with basic construction skills, which developed into work placements on site. These young people had barriers to employment ranging from mental health, dependants and financial problems. Mentored by Tilbury Douglas Engineers this resulted in four apprenticeships.
Barriers to employment (25+)
With the local Job Centres we were able to identify individuals with barriers to employment and support them through a sector based work academy, resulting in basic skills, CSCS and work placement. We used our links with supply chain to encourage other employers to offer placements, resulting in 14 long-term unemployed people getting permanent roles.
Introduction to Engineering
Our Tilbury Douglas STEM ambassadors used their experience to support subject specific lessons such as how science and mathematics is used in engineering. These programmes were available for schools and colleges and cub groups to help them understand the profession. Feedback was out of 20 that had not considered Engineering as a career, after the workshop 14 did.
Budget
We met the final budget figure through a number of value strategies. These included;
- Designing out the piles for the retail terrace in favour of improved ground stabilisation and pad foundations
- Devising a pre-cast solution on the student accommodation, reducing steel and simplifying the design offered huge cost savings that delivered the same end results and programme certainty
- During the project we also pioneered a plasterboard cutting shop where each student room was prefabricated. It was so successful our subcontractor has now made this into a new business.
Against all odds, the Tilbury Douglas team was able to successfully deliver this project for the client whilst integrating an inclusive and future proofed approach to the wider site which makes future development more attractive.
Our partners
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M&E Engineer: Briggs and Forreste
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Structural Engineer: BWB Consulting
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Architect: Glenn Howells Architects and Piper Whitlock Associates