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.

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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

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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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?

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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:
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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.

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:

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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.

Phase 2 Poduim Works

The Weekly Planning List from Sue Cox included details of the proposals for "Podium Phase 2". Podium Phase 1 tackled Beech Gardens and the north western part of the estate. Phase 2 will tackle Ben Jonson Highwalk and the north eastern part.

The reference number for the application is 22/01178/FULL and 22/01179/LBC. Search for those names here (the City web sited does not support direct links to applications for some reason):

https://www.planning2.cityoflondon.gov.uk/online-applications/

Here is my comment:

The proposal is a pretty shocking misallocation of funds, especially at a time of economic stress.

The photographs of stained and damaged tiles included in the phase 2 design and access statement could just as easily have been taken in and around Beech Gardens (the results of Phase 1) which has plenty of blocked drains and damaged tiles. Even the bucket shot could have been taken in offices below Beech Gardens long after Phase 1 was declared complete.

In retrospect, Phase 1 was a really bad idea mainly because the critical underlying issue was not addressed (the drains were not fixed first) but also because the end result is no better than the current state of the area slated for phase 2. Fixing the drains plus a well funded maintenance programme would have produced a much better outcome than the phase 1 project, and would have been far less stressful all around.

So rather than use the allocated funds on phase 2 as proposed, allocate tranches of the money to:

• >>> Fix the drains <<< (I know work for this is proposed in phase 2, but this should not just be a one-off "project" to fix the drains, rather it should be part of maintenance)
• Establish a rolling maintenance programme for the drains including a long term vision of how site drainage will evolve.
• Re-visit and repair the Phase 1 work at Beech Gardens. The drains should be fixed, of course, and damaged and stained tiles should be replaced as needed.
• Start a programme of rolling maintenance for the highwalks as a whole using best practice materials (e.g. for now, the tiles used on for Phase 1 Beech Gardens can be used to replace damaged tiles elsewhere).
• Remove Yellow Shed. Often promised and dangled as a carrot: "if you residents would only approve our latest plan X we promise to finally remove the shed!" ... only to recant and leave the shed in place (... a handy carrot for the future).
• Restore the automated drip water system. Should be fine with fixed drains. More efficient for staff & save water too.

Beware Slippery Surfaces!

From the BEO
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Dear Residents,

Due to the considerable change in temperatures, there is a lot of condensation that has formed on the walls, ceilings, glass and floors. This is making the floors & staircases very slippery. We have asked our cleaning staff to concentrate on mopping the floors as best they can.

Unfortunately, we don't have enough hazard signs to put up in every entrance. So, we are advising caution when moving around the Estate. Please note the podium and car parks are also slippery in places that don't usually get wet.

Kind regards

Barbican Estate Office

Filming action scheduled for 17th Feb

 It seems filming for a "high end" TV show will be happening in the Barbican on 17th Feb, with set-up running from 13th - 16th and tear down happening 18th-19th:

Click to read the whole letter

Reporting Podium Lights on the Estate

From the BEO:

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Reporting Podium Lights on the Estate

As some of you may be aware all Podium light issues are the responsibility of our colleagues in the Highways Department of the Built Environment.

May we ask residents to please help us with reporting and use the following email address: dbebarbicanlighting@cityoflondon.gov.uk , to report these lighting issues on the Barbican Estate.

If you contact the team directly, may we request that you also copy in your House Officer, so that they may track and follow up on the repairs on your behalf.

This inbox will be monitored on a daily basis via the electrical group which in turn will allow them to address problems as soon as possible, whilst also providing direct feedback.

We hope by working together, we can manage things a bit more proactively.

Podium Phase 2 Update (drains still not taken seriously)

The City bureaucrats are pressing ahead with their plans for "Podium Phase 2" despite the fact that Podium Phase 1 (Beech gardens) is not finished yet.  The aim of these projects is to address issues caused by water and yet Nuffield, with premises beneath Beech Gardens, are still suffering from leaks as were Virgin before them.

There are surely many factors contributing to the leaks, but one must be that surface water on the highwalk does not drain away.  Here are two photos of the Beech Gardens area, one week apart:

... and that puddle was still there yesterday.  At the center of the puddle is, of course, a drain grate which sits above a blocked drain.  Why won't the City fix the drains?   Too boring, perhaps?

The Phase 1 Beech Gardens fiasco goes on because a) the drains have not been fixed and b) the waterproof membrane does not work (just ask Nuffield and Virgin).  Phase 1 is not complete by any reasonable measure given the original driver of tacking water penetration.

And yet, here are the City getting ready to leap into Phase 2 at the eastern end of the highwalk.  Ben Jonson Highwalk, here they come:

Flashy stuff.  No mention of the drains.

 
Here is the latest update via the BEO:

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Update from the Barbican Projects Hub Team - Podium Phase 2

Consultation is still open for Phase 2 of the Barbican Podium. Details are available on www.barbicanprojects.co.uk or please visit the exhibition on the Yellow Link Building. Please also view the flyer here.

For further information you can call 0800 772 0475 or email info@barbicanprojects.co.uk.

Join the Garden Advisory Group

From the chair of the RCC, with preamble from the chair of the Ben Jonson House Group:

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Barbican Gardens in the news

 

From the Ben Jonson House Group chair:

Dear All,

For many years the Garden Advisor Group has worked with the BEO to maintain our gardens to the highest possible standard.

It's a labour of love and not only brings joy to the residents, but also to the many visitors, who come specially to the Estate, to enjoy the colour and variety of planting.

The gardens get noticed by the press as well, and when I saw a copy of Garden in the dentist's waiting room a few years ago, I forgot all about the impending pain!

The RCC is keen that the GAG continues with this good work and as part of the campaign to Make the Barbican a Better Place, the Chair has asked me to circulate his note below.

Kind regards,
Chair Ben Jonson House Group



From the Residents Consultative Committee (RCC) Chair:

MAKING THE BARBICAN A BETTER PLACE

Click to read the flyer

Dear Neighbour,

Please help create a Better Barbican by volunteering to join the Gardens Advisory Group (GAG) that works with the City Gardens team and residents to enhance the presentation and future development of the Barbican's hard and soft landscaping. This includes the Speed and Thomas More private gardens, plus the planted podium raised beds and planters.

Membership is for three years and residents with specialist knowledge and experience are particularly welcome.

The GAG's work covers six key areas:

1. Strategic – including details of any future plans for the landscape in the Estate including making recommendations for changes to the Residents' Consultation Committee (RCC)
2. Quality – contribute to establishing standards for new projects and the on-going maintenance of the current gardens
3. Operational – see that the agreed quality outcomes are delivered day-to-day and oversee active contribution from residents and other volunteers.
4. Encouragement – encourage residents to 'green' their personal space on balconies and patios by use of troughs and pots as well as involving them in the communal areas by, for example, resident planting days.
5. Links – provide a means for links with organisations with a common interest in managing, developing and promoting the Barbican landscape.
6. Communications – ensure that information about the development of the Barbican landscape is communicated to all residents, that details of how residents can contact the GAG are published in appropriate places and prepare quarterly reports to RCC.

If you would like to know more, or would like to volunteer, please email chairspeedhouse@outlook.com by Friday 5 November stating:

• Your name
• The skills/knowledge you have to offer
• The areas of the working party's activities to which you aim to contribute
• That you will take the Minutes on a rotational basis
• If you are a current/prior member of this or another Barbican Working Party

Current and prior members of the GAG are welcome to apply as their valuable knowledge will complement the fresh perspectives brought by new members. Decisions on membership will be made by residents delegated by the Barbican Residents' Consultation Committee.

Thanks for helping to create a Better Barbican.

Chair Residents' Consultation Committee http://democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=188

Barbican Podium Phase 2 - Oct Newsletter

 It seems that we are to have newsletters for the Phase 2 podium resurfacing works:

Click to read the newsletter

On the bright side, the newsletter confirms that the Yellow Shed is still in the crosshairs.

And drainage gets a mention too, but only to say that there will be a survey as part of the phase 2 works vs. not even starting the tile replacement until the drains are fixed.

Barbican Podium Phase Two - what drainage problem?

The City have produced a summary of the feedback they received in their consultation, and there is no mention at all of the matter of FIXING THE DRAINS before they press ahead with their sexy big budget project despite earlier explicitly acknowledging the matter. 

Click to read the whole document

Reporting Podium Lights on the Estate

From the BEO:

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Reporting Podium Lights on the Estate

As some of you may be aware all Podium light issues are the responsibility of our colleagues in the Highways Department of the Built Environment.

In order to improve upon the present working methods, a dedicated email address was created to report these lighting issues on the Barbican Estate.

May we ask residents to continue to please help us with reporting and use the following email address dbebarbicanlighting@cityoflondon.gov.uk for this purpose and contact the team directly, if any light concerns are seen on the Podium.

Please can we ask that you also copy in your House Officer, so that they may track and follow up on the repairs on your behalf.

This inbox is monitored on a daily basis via the electrical group which in turn allows them to address problems as soon as possible, whilst also providing direct feedback.

We hope you will continue to assist us in this way of working, which allows us to manage things more proactively.

Barbican Prohibition Signs

From the BEO:

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Barbican Prohibition Signs

The new Barbican Prohibition Signs finally received planning consent on the 6 July and have been ordered. There are enamel, colourful measuring 300mm x 600mm approx. 1 foot high x 2 feet in width and scheduled to arrive by the end of August.

The new signs will be sited in approved locations in the main 'problem areas' of the estate where skateboarding, parkour, cycling and other forms of anti-social incidents have occurred most frequently. Wherever possible they will be sited nearby to the existing byelaw signs.

They will be erected in the agreed locations across the estate in early September.

Barbican Podium Phase Two & The Drains - the city responds!

I sent an email message to the Barbican Projects Team regarding their plans to start work on tackling Beech Gardens MkII (resurfacing the eastern part of the north highwalks).  In particular I asked for an assurance that the drains would be fixed before any work starts on the big budget membrane installation project.  I also asked if they would be removing the Yellow Shed too.

I got a response, and it seems very positive, including a link to a webinar due to be held on 20th July:

___  

Thank you for getting in touch and I hope this email finds you well. This project will cover the public realm in the vicinity of Ben Jonson Place, Breton and Cromwell High Walk.

Replacing the existing waterproofing membrane is a priority as the existing membrane has deteriorated and is no longer able to protect the concrete structure or the occupied spaces beneath it from water ingress.

To confirm, improvement work will be undertaken to the existing drainage infrastructure. Remedial improvement to the drainage infrastructure is an essential part of the project as we have identified disruption to the drainage system, which can cause ponding and deterioration to the surface finishes. The sequence of the works is under careful consideration be our appointed design team

I also confirm that we are removing the yellow link building, located between Ben Jonson House and Frobisher Crescent. This is necessary to effectively undertake waterproofing and drainage work at the podium level. Its removal will provide an opportunity to improve access, legibility and circulation across the podium and to introduce additional areas of greening.

Letters are being distributed this week, informing residents that a webinar will be taking place next week (20 July) relating to the podium project.

To sign-up for the webinar, please visit our website: https://www.barbicanprojects.co.uk

Best wishes

Beech Gardens MkII ... will the drains be fixed first?

 In a recent letter the City tell us that their "Barbican Projects Team" will be launching a couple of projects.  One is to fix up the electrical gubbins in the exhibition halls, the other is to resurface the eastern part of the north highwalk; Beech Gardens Mk II.

The resurfacing of the western end of the north highwalk, around Beech Gardens, failed to prevent flooding ... because the City failed to fix the drains before starting on the project (or subsequently).  Even if the new hi-tech Beech Gardens membrane worked perfectly (which it does not) it would merely contain the surface water which does not drain away (instead it mostly evaporates), and indeed we can all observe the long lived puddles and lakes after any reasonably heavy rainfall.

Before starting any sexy new resurfacing projects the City really must fix the drains.

... and once the drains are fixed, and surface water no longer lingers, I suspect most of the 'leaks' the resurfacing works are supposed to fix will simply disappear.

The "Barbican Projects Team" can be contacted on info@barbicanprojects.co.uk.  I'll write to ask if they will commit to fixing the drains before moving on to the ( bureaucrat resume boosting) big resurfacing works.

Here is the bit of the letter regarding the resurfacing:

Click to read the whole letter