Building Safety Strategy

 The BEO have sent out the Building Safety Resident Engagement Strategy for Ben Jonson House:

Click to read

Phase II: Drainage Defects Confirmed, But No Estate-Wide Strategy

 Further clarification has now been provided by Atkins and the City regarding the proposed Podium Phase II works.

Atkins have confirmed that CCTV drainage surveys were undertaken for podium downpipes within the Phase II area. According to Atkins, these surveys identified blockages and pipe defects requiring unblocking, repair and replacement as part of the proposed works.

Importantly, Atkins have also acknowledged that equivalent drainage remediation work was not undertaken as part of the earlier Phase I project.

This is significant because it now appears that substantial drainage defects have been identified within the podium drainage infrastructure itself, rather than the problem being solely one of failed waterproofing membranes or surface deterioration.

At the same time, Atkins continue to make clear that they were not asked to consider the podium drainage system from an estate-wide system level perspective. The City’s earlier FOI response also confirmed that:

• no estate-wide hydraulic modelling of the podium drainage system has been undertaken,
• no comprehensive estate-wide drainage strategy exists, and
• no drainage maintenance records are held for recent years.

In light of this, an obvious question arises: would funds be better directed toward comprehensive drainage investigation and remediation across the estate as a whole, incorporating the lessons from Phase I, before proceeding with another major programme of demolition, strip-back and resurfacing works?

Another important point is the scope of the surveys themselves. While CCTV investigation of downpipes may identify local blockages and defects, it remains unclear whether this amounts to a comprehensive assessment of the wider podium drainage system and its long-term performance.

The project therefore still appears to be a localised intervention rather than part of a coordinated estate-wide drainage strategy.

Given the scale, cost and disruption associated with the proposed works, these seem entirely reasonable questions to ask before irreversible enabling works proceed.

Phase II: Atkins Confirm No Estate-Wide Drainage Review

 

Following further correspondence with the City and Atkins regarding the Barbican Podium Phase II works, an important clarification has now been provided in writing.

Atkins have confirmed that they were not asked to consider the podium drainage system from an estate-wide system level perspective, but rather to focus on the specific water ingress issues affecting the Phase II area.

This appears to confirm that the current project should be understood as a localised surface intervention rather than part of a coordinated estate-wide drainage strategy.

That distinction matters because the City’s recent FOI response also confirmed that:

• no estate-wide hydraulic modelling of the podium drainage system has been undertaken,

• no comprehensive estate-wide drainage strategy exists, and

• no drainage maintenance records are held for recent years.

I have now asked for further clarification regarding what specific assessment of the drainage network itself has been undertaken even within the Phase II footprint.

For example, while trial holes and waterproofing investigations may help identify how water is entering the structure, they do not in themselves explain how the condition or performance of the drainage runs has been assessed, nor how confidence has been established that the proposed interventions will provide an effective long-term drainage solution.

Given the scale, cost and disruption associated with the proposed demolition and strip-back works, it seems reasonable that these technical questions should be satisfactorily resolved before irreversible enabling works proceed.

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.

---

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

Podium Phase 2 works: FOI request for drainage strategy

I submitted a Freedom of Information request on 9 March asking what analysis and planning had been undertaken over the years in relation to estate-wide drainage across the Barbican podium.

I received the response today. In short, the answer is: very little.

The City confirms that there is no estate-wide drainage strategy, no system-wide modelling, and no meaningful record of drainage maintenance.

The response is, in my view, quite revealing.

Below is a short summary of the key points arising.

--- 

Summary

The proposed Phase 2 podium works are being presented as a solution to long-standing drainage issues on the Barbican highwalks. However, information disclosed by the City of London under the Freedom of Information Act, together with earlier project documentation, raises serious questions about whether the underlying drainage problems are being addressed in a systematic and effective way.

---

Key Findings

1. No estate-wide drainage strategy or modelling
The City has confirmed that:

• no estate-wide hydraulic modelling of the podium drainage system has been undertaken
• no comprehensive estate-wide drainage strategy exists

Drainage is therefore not being managed as a coherent system, despite persistent issues across the estate.

---

2. No maintenance records for drainage infrastructure
The City has stated that:

• no records are held for drainage maintenance, blockages, or clearance over the past five years

This makes it difficult to assess:

• whether drainage problems are due to design or maintenance
• whether proposed works will lead to measurable improvement

---

3. Phase 1 explicitly excluded drainage
A post-project technical review of earlier works states:

“This was a waterproofing project only… it would have been desirable to include podium drainage as well.”

Despite this acknowledged limitation, similar issues (ponding, blocked drains, surface deterioration) are already visible in the refurbished western highwalk.

---

4. Investigations are local, not system-wide
Recent technical work has focused on:

• local leak investigations (e.g. Beech Gardens)
• thermographic and radar surveys
• structural movement monitoring

These are targeted diagnostics, not a comprehensive assessment of the drainage network across the estate.

---

5. Works are being delivered on a phased, project-by-project basis
The City confirms that podium works have been developed:

• on a phased basis
• informed by local condition and individual project approvals

There is no evidence of a coordinated, estate-wide approach to drainage infrastructure.

---

Implications

• The root cause of drainage issues appears to be systemic rather than localised
• Addressing drainage only within the Phase 2 footprint risks repeating the shortcomings of Phase 1
• Without modelling, strategy, or maintenance data, it is unclear how improved drainage performance can be assured

---

Key Question

What estate-wide analysis has been undertaken to demonstrate that Phase 2 will resolve drainage issues at a system level, rather than simply within the project boundary?

---

Conclusion

There is a clear risk that Phase 2 prioritises surface renewal and capital works over addressing the underlying drainage system across the Barbican Estate. A more effective approach would be:

• an estate-wide drainage assessment
• a coordinated maintenance and repair programme
• targeted surface works where required

Until such a strategy is in place, confidence in the long-term effectiveness of the proposed works is necessarily limited.

BEO enthusiasm for the Podium - Phase 2 works

The Barbican Estate Office is presenting Phase 2 as a major step forward for the podium. I am not persuaded. The real problem on the highwalks is drainage: drains that do not work properly and are not adequately maintained. Yet the proposed works are being promoted as though they will greatly improve conditions on the highwalks. That claim deserves scepticism.

We were told similar things around Phase 1, yet the western highwalk already shows puddles, blocked drains, staining and broken tiles. In practice, the result has been years of disruption followed by an area that looks little better and still suffers from the same underlying defects.

A more sensible approach would be an estate-wide programme of drain repair and maintenance, with local surface repairs where necessary, rather than another costly and disruptive capital project that risks treating the symptoms while leaving the cause in place.

From the BEO:
---

Barbican Podium - Phase 2

Dear Residents,

We are very pleased to confirm the Barbican Podium Phase 2 Project has now received approval for funding at the latest Court of Common Council meeitng. This important milestone means the project can now move into the next stage, where a contractor will be formally appointed to carry out the works.

Over the course of this year, we will focus on discharging the necessary pre-planning conditions required before construction can begin. One of the key early activities will be the removal of the Yellow Link Building, currently planned for this summer. In parallel, the project team will work to resolve the remaining contractual and technical matters, with the aim of achieving a Spring 2027 start on site.

As the programme moves into delivery, responsibility for the project will transition to a combined leadership between the Barbican Estate Office (Dan Sanders) and the Barbican Centre (Philippa Simpson), reflecting the significant impact the works will have across both the residential estate and the wider Barbican Renewal programme. This joint approach will help ensure that the needs of residents, the cultural centre, and the estate are considered throughout the project, and that all activity and design is fully coordinated.

This is a very exciting moment for the Barbican. The podium refurbishment represents a once-in-a-generation investment in the long-term future of the estate, helping to protect and enhance one of London's most iconic environments. We are committed to working openly and collaboratively with resident groups across the estate, ensuring clear communication and engagement as the project develops and construction approaches.

A core element of the works is the comprehensive upgrade of the podium drainage system. Addressing long-standing issues with water pooling across the podium is a major priority of the project. The scheme will also incorporate the drainage improvements originally intended as part of Phase 1 podium works but not delivered at that time, ensuring a more robust and resilient drainage network for the future.

Beyond resolving these technical issues, the project will deliver a range of wider benefits for residents and visitors. These include:

Improved drainage and waterproofing, protecting the buildings and facilities located beneath the podium structure and ending the water pooling following rainfall.

Enhanced landscaping and planting, supporting biodiversity and contributing to a greener, more climate-resilient estate.

Long-term protection of the Barbican's heritage, through sensitive refurbishment that respects the estate's Grade II listed status.

Better accessibility and legibility of the podium, making routes and spaces clearer and easier to navigate.

Integration with the wider Barbican Renewal programme, helping to secure the future of the Barbican as a world-leading cultural and residential destination for the next 50 years.

Taken together, these improvements will help ensure that the Barbican podium remains a welcoming, resilient, and vibrant place for residents, visitors, and nature, while safeguarding the estate's unique architectural character for generations to come.

We look forward to continuing to work with residents and stakeholders as the project progresses.

90 Week Highwalk Resurfacing Project - More plans

 The City recently published two documents regarding the proposed 90 week project to strip back the eastern highwalk and relay it.  This is "phase 2" of the resurfacing work.  You can see the rather disappointing results of phase 1 as you walk towards the Barbican tube station, noting the blocked drains, cracked tiles and blocked direct route to the bridge (while they try to fix up something they missed in phase 1, no doubt).

The two documents are:

• A protective measures plan
• A construction traffic plan

The wider issue of fixing the drains across the estate gets scant mention.  Rather, the focus is on the superficial works which, if you see the images in the document, will make the highwalk look lovely.  I recall similar documents for phase 1, and look at what we got.

To be fair I will note that the City does claim that they will apply a waterproof membrane beneath the new surfaces.  The problem is that a waterproof membrane without working drainage give you ponds, just as we see with the phase 1 work.

Anyway, I have written a letter to our councilors:

Dear [Councillors],

I note that the City is proceeding with Phase 2 of the podium works.

My concern is not that drainage works are absent, they are referenced in the documentation, but that they are:
1. Embedded within a much larger strip-back and landscaping project, and
2. Limited to the specific Phase 2 footprint rather than forming part of a coherent, estate-wide drainage strategy.

Drainage performance appears to be the fundamental issue affecting the highwalks (and indeed the structure of the Barbican!). Persistent ponding, blocked gullies and tile deterioration, including on the recently relaid western end, suggest systemic drainage shortcomings rather than isolated surface failures.

Blending drainage remediation into a predominantly surface-led scheme risks obscuring whether the underlying infrastructure is genuinely being resolved.

Before committing to 99 weeks of disruption, it would seem logical to:
- Publish a clear estate-wide drainage assessment,
- Confirm whether the wider podium drainage network has been surveyed in full,
- Explain why drainage is not being addressed comprehensively across the estate before further surface strip-back works proceed.

Without that clarity, this risks becoming a repeating cycle of surface renewal without structural resolution.

I would be grateful if you could seek a clear explanation from officers on how Phase 2 fits within a broader infrastructure strategy for the Barbican podium, in particular with respect to drainage.

1 Silk St. Planning Application - Huge Building

The planning application for the new building at 1 silk street is now live. Here is a letter from the Silk Street Campaign Team:

Dear Neighbours,

Many of you may now have received formal planning application letters from the City. Please find attached the latest Silk Street Campaign update, with details of a briefing meeting for residents to be held on 22 October.

Thank you for your support.

Silk Street Campaign Team
silkstreetcampaign@gmail.com

Here is the update which includes images showing just how big the proposed building is:

Another whopper - click to open the update

Don't flush those wet wipes!

From the BEO:

---

Please consider what you flush
 

Unfortunately this week has seen another pipe blockage occur on the estate. As you can imagine these incidents are very unpleasant and stressful for both the residents affected and the staff who work to rectify the issue.

Please consider what you are flushing down your toilets, wipes are one of the biggest causes of blockages in pipes, and go on to cause flooding on the estate.

Wipes are often labelled as ‘flushable’, but regardless of any claims on packaging, wipes should never be flushed down the toilet as they are not compatible with our plumbing system. We kindly request that you, your guests, subtenants, or private cleaners refrain from flushing them down the toilet.

Our plumbing system, equipped with cast iron pipes, is particularly susceptible to snagging on anything other than toilet paper due to naturally occurring material imperfections which can easily lead to blockages and subsequent issues. The consequences of these blockages extend beyond inconvenience, causing significant distress to our lower floor neighbours and necessitating extensive and costly clean-up efforts by our contractors and staff.

To prevent the risk of future incidents, we urge all residents to ensure wipes are disposed of in bins rather than flushing them down the toilet. This simple action will greatly contribute to maintaining a pleasant living environment and drive down avoidable sewerage repair recharge costs for all residents. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

1 Golden Lane - Disingenuous Sound Measures

In their recent "Community Newsletter" for the 1 Golden Lane project, Midgard present the following table:

On the face of it these sound levels look fine, you'd think.  But look closer.  Midgard are giving measures using LAeq10 Hours in plain old dB ... this is about the best way to hide noise nuisance while coming across as all clever and technical.  But ...

LAeq (Equivalent Continuous Sound Level) is a flawed measure of sound nuisance which hides problematic peaks by averaging sound energy over long periods. The LAeq 10h measure used by Midgard averages over 10 hours, no doubt including the “Reduced impact hours” in the average.

Limitations of LAeq in more detail:

• Focuses on average energy: LAeq simply averages the sound pressure level over a specific time period. This doesn't account for fluctuations in the sound, which can be crucial for human perception of nuisance. A constant sound at a specific LAeq might be less bothersome than the same average level with frequent peaks or variations. The 1 Golden Lane work involves relatively brief bursts of extremely loud noise.
• Ignores frequency content: LAeq doesn't consider the frequency makeup of the sound. High-frequency sounds are generally perceived as more annoying than low-frequency sounds at the same LAeq level. For example, traffic noise with a lot of high-pitched engine sounds might be more bothersome than constant low-frequency hum from ventilation even if they have the same LAeq. The noise produced by the power tools in use on the 1 Golden Lane site is often of a high piercing frequency.
• Doesn't capture temporal aspects: LAeq doesn't consider how the sound changes over time. Sounds with sudden loud bursts or those that occur at night can be more disruptive than sounds with the same LAeq that are spread out evenly. Some of the noisiest work on the 1 Golden Lane site seems to be saved for the very start and very end of the permitted work times.

Alternative Measures that Midgard could use if they really wanted to be helpful:

• Lmax: This metric measures the maximum sound pressure level during a specific period. It's a good way to identify potential for sudden loud noises that might be startling or disruptive.
• Leq,n: This metric represents the equivalent continuous sound level for specific time intervals within the measurement period (e.g., Leq,1h for hourly levels). It provides a more detailed picture of how sound levels fluctuate over time.
• Frequency weighting: Weighting scales like A-weighting (dBA) and C-weighting (dBC) prioritize frequencies that humans perceive more readily. This helps provide a better understanding of how annoying a sound might be.

1 Golden Lane construction - noise

 In the "1 GOLDEN LANE EC1Y 0RR - Community Newsletter – May 2024" the contractors give the times they will be working during the rest of the project:

Click to read the whole newsletter

On the basis of their behaviour so far the contractor intends to make as much noise as they like during the hours they have given, except for a break from the noisiest work between 10 to noon and 14:00 to 16:00.  The City thinks this is fine.

Montcalm hotel redevelopment ... getting bigger

It seems that the Montcalm is to be enhanced.  It will be getting taller, of course.  The dark finished growth above the brickwork is the new floor (or floors):

Click to expand

More details here:  https://montcalm-at-the-brewery.co.uk/

And, of course there will be a "consultation":

Good afternoon all,

I hope you are well.

I am contacting you on behalf Montcalm Group regarding proposals for renewed investment in The Montcalm at the Brewery, 52 Chiswell Street.

Many thanks for taking the time to meet with the project team last month.

I am pleased to notify you that following several meetings with key stakeholders, our public consultation has now launched. As part of our commitment to early community engagement, we will be holding a drop-in public exhibition to share out plans.

This will take place at:
Date: Thursday 6th June
Time: 3pm- 7pm
Location: Samuel Room, Montcalm at the Brewery, 52 Chiswell Street, EC1Y 4SA

We very much hope to see you there.

For further information, please visit our consultation website, https://montcalm-at-the-brewery.co.uk/

In the meantime, if you would like to meet with the team or have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Kind regards,

Isobel

1 Golden Lane construction

A couple of documents have been released about the under-construction 1 Golden Lane office block.

• Construction Logistics
• Circular Economy Statement

And it will look like this:

Hefty

White Cross Street Ramp Closed Thu 21st March

From the BEO:

___

Dear Residents,

I am writing to inform you that the ramp on White Cross Street by Staircase 64, Ben Jonson House, will be closed tomorrow (Thursday 21 March), all day, due to repairs taking place on the drains and associated pipework.

There will be barriers in place as well as signs directing to the ramp round the back of Ben Jonson as an alternative.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Kind Regards,
Barbican Estate Office

Highwalk still leaks

Further confirmation that the City's mega projects to strip back and relay the surface of the highwalks was a poor choice.

Rather than establish a boring on-going maintenance programme to fix the drains and carry out essential repairs the City awarded themselves a capital project to completely resurface the western end of northern Barbican highwalks.  The project took ages, inconvenienced residents for years and cost a fortune.  In the end the highwalk looks little better than it did before (some say worse) and the water penetration problems, the excuse for the project in the first place, remain.

The City are currently trying to justify a re-run of this disaster at the eastern end of the northern part of the Barbican highwalks, Ben Jonson Highwalk and its neighbours.

The number one priority in this context should be to fix the drains as part of a long term on-going maintenance programme ... but no.

And then the City acts all surprised when water penetration is *still* causing problems on the western highwalk illustrating that the resurfacing project was, in many ways, worse than useless.

As reported in the latest Barbican Estate Bulletin:

---

Podium repair work - Beech Gardens


Property Services have been carrying out work to resolve a leak into the reception area of Nuffield Health. An area of podium tiling had been lifted and waterproofing work carried out to cure the leak.

Museum of London: Move progress

 Here is an item from the BBC about how the packing is going in the Museum of London's move from London Wall to Smithfield:

Click to read the article

1 Golden Lane - A post demolition pause before the build?

The good new is that we have the atrocious noise of the demolition behind us.  The less good news is that the construction phase is due to begin and this will bring a whole new set of aural delights.

But it is not clear when the construction phase will begin.  Mc Gee have completely vacated the site, even the scaffolding has gone (a bit surprising).

So, time to enjoy a bit of quiet while at the same time hoping that we won't be left with a half completed building project as a neighbor for too long!

Here is the farewell note from Mc Gee:

___

Good morning,

As you may have seen we have been demobilising on the 1 Golden Lane site as our phase of works are now complete. We officially left the site on Friday 23^rd February 2024.

At this moment in time, the contractor that will be carrying out the next phase of works at 1 Golden Lane has not been confirmed. However once confirmed we will have a handover where things including neighbourly matters and sensitive receptors will be discussed.

In the meantime, if you need to contact anyone regarding 1 Golden Lane, please contact Thomas Woolf, t.woolf@gardiner.com.

Please can you confirm If you would like me to pass on your email address to the client so they can give it to the next contractor, to include their mailing list. Until we receive approval from you, we will not share your email address.

Finally, I would like to say a huge thank you for your patience, understanding and feedback whilst we have carried out our work. We appreciate fully how our works impacted you at times, and by incorporating your feedback we have remained committed to carrying out our project in the least impactful way possible.

It has been lovely speaking to and meeting with so many of you and I wish you the best for the future.

Thank you from the whole of the McGee 1 Golden Lane team!

Kind regards

1 Silk Street - Culture Survey

I suspect a "culture survey" is the latest means by which developers hope to placate residents while they press ahead with what they wanted to do in the first place.

Here we go ... this is via the Ben Jonson House Group:

___

Dear Neighbours,


1 SILK STREET – CONSULTATION

The developer of Silk Street has appointed the multi-disciplinary culture agency called Things Made Public to "devise a site-specific cultural and community offer within 1 Silk Street, genuinely driven by consultation with local people." We only received the info a day or so ago, hence the tight deadline for responses.

As part of phase 1 the agency decided to:

do a culture survey targeted at residents of the Barbican Estate and Golden Lane Estate,
ask for people's details so that they can get in touch to do some further in-person consultation,
target those that haven't had the opportunity to express their views.

There are some important questions which may influence the types of facilities considered by the developer of the site. If you have the time, please take part in the survey by 26th February.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SJ2RB3X

Best wishes,

<Ben Jonson House>

 

 

 

 

---

For news and history see The Ben Jonson House Blog
Unsubscribe from mailing list.

48 Chiswell Street - office redevelopment with terraces!

48 Chiswell Street – application now live with Islington Planning Dept:

How it may look - click for details

Noisy Work Hours amended

From the BEO:

___

Noisy Work Hours amended

Barbican Contractors: 9am – 5pm

(Works carried out by our contractors (Metwin etc). They will try to not start before 10am but certain works need a full day to complete and may have to start from 9am). Emergency Works may have to take place outside of these hours.

Residents Private Contractors: 10am-4pm

Alterations in Leaseholders flats. (Please note there is no quiet period) if there are complaints of noisy work starting before 10am or after 4pm please contact the House Officer for your block.


City: 8am – 6pm eg road works, gas, electric water repairs & work not controlled by the Barbican Estate Office.

(Quiet times of 10-12 and 2-4 stipulated)