Work is underway in constructing eleven new houses on land adjacent to West End Avenue in Smethwick. Thanks to grant funding from Homes England, this project is creating a mixture of two- and four-bedroom properties for affordable rent in Sandwell.
The architects, landscape architects, quantity surveyors and structural engineers involved in this project are from our team here at Urban Design and Building Services (UDBS).
Our client is the Housing Partnership Team at Sandwell Council, while the building contractor is Tricas Construction Ltd.
The development is at the end of a cul-de-sac, with a primary school and existing properties to the west and a canal feeder to the north. Higher-than-average levels of existing drainage runs within West End Avenue meant we needed to build up the site to allow for adequate adoptable drainage systems.
Despite these challenges, works are progressing well.
We have designed all the properties to M(4)2 standards, as outlined by the government Approved Document M. This means they will be accessible and adaptable dwellings – potentially suitable for a wide range of occupants with differing needs. We have also designed the houses to the latest building regulation requirements, and incorporated solar panels, ensuring their energy efficiency is in line with government targets.
We will update this page once the project is complete, in 2024.