IN Brief:
- Dudleys Consulting Engineers is supporting Seddon's 12-unit development at Cheshire Oaks Business Park.
- The 24,700 sq ft scheme received revised planning permission in February 2026.
- Engineers selected raft foundations after reviewing deep topsoil, clay and potential ground movement.
Dudleys Consulting Engineers has been appointed to provide civil and structural engineering services for a £3 million commercial development at Cheshire Oaks Business Park in Ellesmere Port. The scheme is being developed by Seddon Developments and built by Seddon Construction, creating 12 flexible business units with a combined floor area of approximately 24,700 sq ft. Engineering work has had to account for the site’s deep topsoil, clay ground conditions and ground movement risks following removal of established trees.
At Lloyd Drive, the final parcel of the business park allocation is being developed as two terraces of commercial and light industrial units, following earlier plans for care accommodation. Dudleys contributed to feasibility and detailed design before continuing its civil and structural engineering work into the construction phase. The £3 million value applies to the development as a whole rather than the engineering consultancy appointment.
Seddon had previously obtained consent for an 80-bed care home and a further specialist care unit on the wider plot, but a change in the commercial position led to the land being divided. The care home could proceed separately, while the southern area was redesigned for business accommodation and received planning permission in February 2026. At the time of the engineering appointment, the separate care home was reported to be largely complete.
The former use of parts of the plot as temporary parking and construction compounds left unusually deep topsoil, influencing the foundation options for the new units. Because organic topsoil is generally unsuitable as a reliable founding layer without appropriate removal or treatment, its thickness affects excavation quantities and the levels at which suitable support can be established. Dudleys assessed those conditions with the preferred main contractor during design development.
Beneath the topsoil, clay introduced a potential movement risk because its volume can change as moisture conditions vary. Established trees draw water from the ground, and their removal may allow moisture to recover, potentially causing swelling in susceptible clay. The likely movement depends on soil properties, depth, vegetation and the planned structure; no measured heave figure has been published for the Cheshire Oaks plot.
Having examined trench fill, piled and raft foundations, Dudleys selected a raft as the most economical solution for the known ground conditions and proposed building levels. A raft distributes loads over a broader area, while trench foundations carry them through narrower supporting elements and piles can transfer them to suitable strata at depth. The engineering selection depends on the site investigation and anticipated loads, but the final raft thickness and reinforcement arrangement have not been disclosed.
Because the adopted raft must work with the surrounding ground and building layout, below ground drainage, slab levels and external access areas have to be coordinated during construction. Excavations for services can affect support around the foundations, while finished levels must allow access to entrances and working yards. The design therefore considers topsoil and clay conditions together with the civil infrastructure serving the units.
The two terraces will provide flexible accommodation for businesses within the existing commercial park, replacing the specialist care use previously planned for the southern plot. Adaptation for different occupiers remains subject to the final structural and building services arrangements, including permitted uses and load capacity. The published scheme establishes the number of units and their combined area without setting out individual tenant installations or a universal floor loading specification.
Alongside Dudleys, KPP Architects and JCA Consulting are involved in the design and management of the development, with JCA providing project management and quantity surveying services. Their work must align the geometry of the units with drainage, access routes, site levels and the foundation design, because an adjustment to one can affect excavation or infrastructure connections elsewhere. This coordination continues as the contractor progresses the buildings and external works.
The plot is close to the M53 and surrounded by established commercial premises, leaving the construction team to work within the existing road and service network. Deliveries and temporary working areas will need to fit the site as it is developed, although the project team has not disclosed a specific traffic management plan. Details of remediation methods and other temporary arrangements have likewise not been published.
Dudleys’ involvement from feasibility through planning into construction has allowed the foundation options to be considered before the permanent design was selected. The consultancy is now supporting delivery of the agreed civil and structural solution while Seddon Construction builds the units. Its role consequently spans design development and construction rather than being limited to a later inspection of completed works.
With planning approval secured earlier in 2026 and the foundation strategy established, construction can progress through the rafts, building structures and external infrastructure. Seddon has not disclosed a definitive practical completion date or a final cost breakdown for the 12 units, leaving the engineering appointment as the latest confirmed project development.
