- Cadent delivering major landscaping project in Battersea Park
- New plants will provide year-round colour and interest
- Project follows completion of work on Cadent’s flagship Tunnel under the River Thames project in the park
London’s historic Battersea Park is getting a major makeover courtesy of Cadent.
Part of the historic Grade II listed Battersea Park – which has previously provided the backdrop for movies, festivals and a funfair – has recently been used by Cadent as a construction hub for its £18m flagship Tunnel under the River Thames project.
The jewel in the crown of Cadent’s £1billion gas mains replacement programme in the capital, the 330m tunnel will transport gas under the Thames between Chelsea and Battersea. .
Engineers used a section of Battersea Park to sink one of the tunnel’s two 30m shafts and associated tunnelling and engineering works. Construction of the tunnel is complete and work is now well underway to landscape the former worksite.
Designed by landscape architects LUC (Land Use Consultants) and delivered by contractor Landform the landscaping work will both reconnect the former construction site to the rest of Battersea Park, while also providing a colourful gateway into the Park.
Visitors will be able to enjoy a mixture of perennials, wildflower meadow grass and traditional shrubs along with a rain garden. Drought resistant species have been chosen to reduce the need for irrigation and the new plants will also provide much needed habitat for bees and other pollinators in the capital.
Neil Blackley Head of Parks for Enable Leisure and Culture, who manage the Park on behalf of Wandsworth Council, said: “We’ve been working closely with Cadent throughout the project to ensure the work has as little impact as possible on the park – that’s quite a challenge when a 30m tunnel shaft is involved.
“However I am pleased to say that things have gone remarkably well and the landscaping work that’s currently underway should help make a real improvement to this corner of the Park.”
The Friends of Battersea Park, a registered charity which works to protect and maintain the park was also involved in the project.
Frances Radcliffe, Chairwoman of the group, said: “We’ve worked closely with Cadent since the inception of the project and we’re pleased with the way things have gone.
“The landscaping work that’s currently underway will help ensure Battersea Park continues to be an oasis of tranquillity, natural beauty and recreation.”
Meanwhile Cadent Project Manager Andrew Hejdner reflected: “The work we carried out in the park to build the tunnel will help keep Londoners connected to safe and reliable gas supplies.
“However we also aim to ensure that we return the areas we work in to as good a condition or better than before we started our work.
He added: “Visitors to the park will be in for a visual treat when this work is complete!
“We’ve taken great care to select a mixture of plants to provide a variety of colour and interest throughout the year.”
To ensure it makes the most of prime planting season prime the landscaping work is being carried out between September and November this year.
The tunnel project itself, meanwhile, is due to be fully operational in 2019.
The Tunnel under the River Thames forms part of Cadent’s ongoing investment to replace and upgrade ageing gas mains across its North London network with safer and more durable modern pipes.
This programme will reduce the amount of unplanned repair work to ageing gas pipes on the network and is an essential in helping to ensure people keep on enjoying safe and reliable gas supplies.
ENDS