Eco Park, Hill Top, Wednesbury, Sandwell, West Midlands, UK
Finding a solution in difficult site conditions
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council were looking for a development strategy for a 268ha brownfield site, recognised as the most difficult regeneration site in the West Midlands. Yet, we managed to find a way of extracting value from the land.
Full of limitations such as disused canals, overhead power lines, rail lines, old mine shafts and a land fill, the site was a complex patchwork of development challenges with no obvious solutions.
Presented with data from previous and ongoing studies, we evaluated and subsequently arranged information using geographical information systems (GIS). The resultant mapping produced a multi-faceted report of the site that clearly defined the constraints and opportunities to potential developments. Though appearing derelict, 50% of the land was economically productive.
Our recommendation, then, of a Resource Recovery or “Eco Park” was based on capitalising on the existing economic, environmental and transport features of the site and surrounding area. The planned development would not only utilise unproductive land but feed existing and new industries with the materials it recovered. This solution is based on our ability to structure, evaluate, and solve technically complex situations in strategic planning.
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Did you know?
It is never easy to make sense of a complex situation, yet with proper organisation and analysis, we can find solutions to the most challenging sites, even from apparent chaos.
Services provided
- Air quality & Noise
- Contaminated land & Geotechnics
- GIS
- Hydrology
- Transport
- Utilities
- Waste Management
Project highlights
- Reclamation of West Midlands’ most difficult regeneration site
- Development strategy that provides significant number of new employment opportunities