This significant project was delivered across two interlinked sites in the Selly Park area of Birmingham. The scheme aimed to reduce the flood risk to hundreds of properties and unlock developable land by re-engineering the existing floodplain. The northern site focused on enabling future development through flood alleviation, while the southern site, led by the Environment Agency, addressed direct community protection. Through coordinated intervention and hydraulic modelling, the project enabled approximately 350 homes to be removed from the flood risk zone, contributing to safer communities and enhanced land value. Key features included: Approximately 350 homes removed from the flood zone A 227-meter long, 2.4m diameter tunnel was constructed to bypass floodwater Unlocked developable land Many retainment structures, bypass channels and flood storage areas Services we provided Water Engineering & Flood Risk Civil & Infrastructure Engineering Ground Investigation & Land Quality Utilities Engineering Our role BWB Consulting acted as lead designer for both the Selly Park North and South sites, offering a fully integrated service covering flood risk management, earthworks, geotechnical investigation, and civil and structural engineering design. Flood risk expertise Our work included detailed hydraulic modelling to re-profile the floodplain and justify changes to flood risk mapping. We undertook extensive site investigation and ground modelling to inform earthworks, which were critical to delivering a design that improved protection and unlocked land for future housing. Stakeholder management One key challenge was managing a highly complex stakeholder landscape across the public and private sectors. Calthorpe Estates, Birmingham City Council, and the Environment Agency all had different risk appetites, objectives, and decision-making processes. BWB acted as a central coordinator, bridging the gap between the goal-driven private sector and the compliance-focused public agencies. Agile delivery A further technical challenge emerged when incomplete records revealed a significant water main near the proposed flood defence structures. This discovery required rapid geotechnical deflection analysis for design reassessment and stakeholder negotiation to ensure infrastructure resilience and service continuity.