Podium Phase II: Progressing Without a Drainage Strategy?

The City has recently invited residents to a webinar on the Phase 2 podium works (details below).

By way of context, the response to a recent Freedom of Information request confirmed that:

• no estate-wide drainage strategy or modelling has been undertaken, and
• no drainage maintenance records are held for recent years.

Despite this, the City is continuing to progress the Phase 2 works, which are being presented as addressing long-standing drainage issues on the podium.

This is particularly notable given that similar drainage issues, including ponding, blocked drains and surface deterioration, are already visible on the western highwalk following the Phase 1 works.

This raises an obvious question: on what basis is it expected that these works will resolve drainage problems across the estate?

The webinar may be a useful opportunity to ask that question directly.

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Dear Residents,

Following my update on 9 March 2026, I’m writing to invite you to an online webinar to meet the contractor and hear about the enabling works planned for this summer.

While we continue to discharge the pre-commencement planning conditions required for the main works, we are pleased to confirm that Maylim have been appointed as the contractor to commence early enabling works due to start this summer, including the removal of the Yellow Link Building.

Date: Monday 18 May 2026 Time: 18.30 - 19.30

Register: Please click this link to register or contact the project team via info@barbicanprojects.co.uk

In the webinar, Maylim will introduce the team and outline the proposed programme for the enabling works, including phasing, access arrangements, working hours, noise and other key considerations.

This will be followed by a Q&A session so you can ask questions and understand how the works may affect you.

We hope you are able to attend, but don’t worry if you can’t make it. The webinar will be recorded, and the presentation and recording be available on www.barbicanprojects.co.uk afterwards.

If you have any queries on the webinar, please contact the project team via info@barbicanprojects.co.uk or 0800 772 0475.

Kind regards, Dan Sanders, Director of Property and Estate Management - Barbican