Thanks to Landsec and Interserve for up to date photos, the approximate position of paths and canal have been added. There is a concrete canal channel to be built in the covered area, main photo, that runs underneath the goods delivery yard. Most of the sheet metal piling should be installed. Unfortunately, there will be a lot of soil left on the canal route (estimated at 6000 cubic metres) which we will have to remove
Press Release 28th of February 2018
Restoring the Dudley the No 2 Canal across the former Battery Site
in Selly Oak Birmingham.
Since appointing Interserve as the main contractor in the summer of 2017 the Harvest Partnership of Sainsbury’s and Landsec is making very good progress in developing the Battery Site. They have just started work on canal enabling works to allow the canal to cross the site when it is reinstated and joins the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.
The original canal route was not economically viable, so a new 340m route running alongside the edge of the new Selly Oak Shopping Park was agreed between the Harvest Partnership and Birmingham City Council, with the Canal and River Trust advising as statutory consultee. Prior to accepting the plans there was a period of public consultation with illustrative reports, subject to detailed design development, from consultants Glenn Howells showing how the scheme may look and from Mace indicating a possible method of excavation when the development was completed. (The reports are included as condition 95 of the planning permission ref 2013/02178/PA). With a section 106 agreement in place the route and the winding hole is protected. Additionally, the developers are committed to spend £2,907,000 on “Canal Enabling Works”. The canal work includes amongst other things the bridge over the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, sheet metal piling both sides of the canal and the winding hole, and a concrete undercroft allowing the canal to pass underneath Sainsbury’s goods delivery yard. Included in the £2.9m is a sum of £500k as a contribution to a “canal procurement entity” to complete the “canal delivery works”, which include removing the soil from between the sheet metal piling and the winding hole (for boats to turn and enter the canal), lowering the services under the tow path, replacing a section of the tow path with a swing bridge at the junction with the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, and any other item to complete the canal.
The development includes a very large Sainsbury’s store, several smaller shop units, and an 18-storey student accommodation tower.
Thank you to Lapal Canal Trust committee member Arthur Moppett for regular photos recording the rapid progress being made on site. A temporary bridge over the Worcester & Birmingham canal has been built between the offices and the main site
Please follow progress on our web site www.lapal.org and www.facebook.com/lapalcanaltrust
For queries and photos please contact
Hugh Humphreys, nbhugh@gmail.com
Lapal Canal Trust, Tel 07970 766554