Client: Birmingham City Council

Value: £22 million

Date: 2021-2023

Raising safety standards at Inkerman House, Birmingham

Project overview

At 15 storeys, and with 144 homes, Inkerman House in Aston is Birmingham City Council’s largest social housing residence. Built in the 1960s, it needed a significant upgrade to meet modern standards. WPS delivered a two-phase improvement programme – the first focusing on internal upgrades and the second on external refurbishments to improve resident safety.

Project details 

Phase 1, valued at £9.5 million, focused on internal modernisation including full rewires, newly installed flat entrance fire doors, alarms, sprinklers and hot-water cylinders, plus upgraded kitchens, bathrooms and electrical heating. Communal areas and service infrastructure, including the waste‑disposal systems, were upgraded, alongside the construction of two new smoke‑extraction shafts.

Phase 2, valued at £12.5 million commenced in July 2023 and centred on external fabric and façade improvements. This included the removal of the existing roof and installation of a new insulated system, concrete repairs and wall-tie replacement, external wall insulation, and new double-glazed windows and balcony doors. Old cladding was replaced with compliant firebreaks, while stairwells and link areas received new curtain-wall systems and automatic opening vents. Upgrades also included passive fire protection, PIV installation, extended sprinklers to balconies, improved external lighting and signage, and refreshed communal finishes. Significant access arrangements were required, including a 13-metre steel platform around the block, full-height scaffold to the north elevation, and eleven

Key project deliverables 

• Resident communication – as with all occupied refurbishments, resident wellbeing was crucial. We kept communication open and honest at all times, seeking to present a realistic view of the work to create confidence and best manage people’s expectations. 
  • Dedicated Resident Liaison Officer employed to work with the residents. 
  • Pre-start surveys to understand and support residents’ needs and vulnerabilities. 
  • Residents’ open days to discuss the project, voice concerns and learn about the different products being used. 
  • Feedback showed residents were positive about the work being done and felt comfortable granting access for the internal works.  

• Operational logistics –  Inkerman House sits above Newtown Shopping Centre, presenting us with complex logistics to manage. Keeping the shopping centre operational throughout the work meant installing a bespoke steel platform around the shopping floors, ensuring scaffolding for the external works didn’t prevent public access to the lower-level shops. 

• Engaging with the fire authority – dialogue required with West Midlands Fire Authority (WMFA) to assess and scrutinise the fire safety measures and their impact on the building’s integrity. This included three scenario tests with Birmingham City Council and WMFA to ensure that the fire safety measures and the building’s fire safety protocols and procedures were robust.

When we build something, it’s important that we do it right and we do it safely. Inkerman House is a logistically complex project and, as with all projects, we must ensure we plan, manage and monitor all activities. This was key to ensuring we maintained footfall for the shopping centre while keeping residents happy, engaged, and safe. What we’ve delivered for Birmingham City Council and its residents shows the standards we can achieve when we keep communication and collaboration at the heart of what we do.” 

Neil Stevenson

Operations Manager, WPS

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