Park reopens to community as London’s super sewer project nears completion
A celebration of the work above and below ground was held at a park in Wandsworth last week as an area used to build London’s super sewer was reopened to the public.
The small section of King George’s Park on Buckhold Road had been closed off since 2016 but was reopened with a new seating circle, public art and updated planting on an egg-shaped area that sits above the new infrastructure.
Whilst the new tunnel which passes below the ground is preventing sewage polluting the River Thames, the landscaped area above can be enjoyed by the public who can take in the beauty of the park, and enjoy the work of artist Yemi Awosile, ‘Domestic Motif’ which sits on the electrical kiosk used to operate the Thames Tideway Tunnel.
Roger Bailey, Chief Technical Officer for Tideway, the company which constructed the Thames Tideway Tunnel, said:
“This is a space for local people to enjoy for years to come and we’re really proud to be able to open this area and celebrate its beauty. Its complex engineering below ground can now sit quietly out of the way, working on our behalf to clean up London’s river.
“As our teams continue to work hard on connecting and testing the new infrastructure to the existing sewage network, to be able to give back to the community the land required to undertake this essential job is a welcome moment.”
Cllr Leonie Cooper, London Assembly Member for Merton and Wandsworth, officially opened the site in a short ribbon cutting ceremony, endorsing her continued support for the project and the environmental benefits it will bring.
She said: “I have been watching this site since construction began and have been amazed at the skill that was required to deliver such complex engineering in such a small and overlooked site. To know that this community has played its part in helping to stop sewage pollution into the river is really special and I’m proud to be here today.”
The area known as ‘the egg’ sits above the shaft at the start of the Frogmore Connection Tunnel, linking the sewer overflows into the main tunnel. The ground is paved with brickwork, houses a mechanical kiosk with sculptures by artist Yemi Awosile and a bronze signature ventilation column engraved with poetry by Dorothea Smartt.
During the opening event the space hosted local charity World Heart Beat – a community music academy supported by Tideway as part of its Wandsworth Community Fund in 2021.
Tideway marked completion of the construction of the tunnel in May and has since been working to connect and test the new infrastructure to the existing underground sewer network. Testing will continue into next year when the project is due to be fully completed.
For more information, visit www.tideway.london