HS2: residents can vote on appearance of viaduct in village near Kenilworth

Balsall Common residents will be able to vote on the appearance of the HS2 viaduct in the village.

Further design options for the appearance and patterning of Balsall Common Viaduct’s acoustic parapets, and the landscape around the structure, will be presented to the community at events this month.

The first will take place at Balsall Common Village Hall on Thursday January 18 from noon to 5.30pm and that will be followed by another event at Balsall Common Methodist Church, in Station Road, on the same day from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.

Berkswell & Balsall Common Sports Association, in Meeting House Lane, will host one of the events on Thusday January 25 from noon to 5.30pm before the fourth event takes place on the same day, at the Methodist Church, from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.

These events follow planning approval for the viaduct granted by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in September.

The viaduct is designed to sit within the surrounding landscape, and the five parapet options are designed to make the structure either more prominent through the use of bold colours, or less prominent by using polished concrete to reflect the sky and surroundings.

The structure is being built by HS2’s main works contractor, Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV), supported by a design joint venture of Mott MacDonald and SYSTRA together with architects Weston Williamson + Partners.

Nick McGough, director at Weston Williamson + Partners, and lead architect for the BBV design joint venture, said: “We have responded to the feedback from the local planning committee and developed new design options which create either a bolder, more prominent viaduct in the landscape, or reduce its prominence, effectively making it more subdued.

"This is achieved with different treatments to the acoustic parapets which can significantly change the character of the structure.

“We now look forward to hearing people’s feedback on the colour, finish and patterning of the viaduct’s parapets, along with options about different types of planting in the areas around the structure.”

The options include a plain concrete parapet, a red, green or highly polished parapet with full length patterning, or a polished parapet with a pattern only over Station Road. There are also four options for the parapet pattern itself.

These reference local history and include a weave motif to represent the history of textile production in the area, a tree motif to represent the Forest of Arden, a brick motif referencing local brickmaking and a ram’s horn motif to represent the history of livestock farming at nearby Ram’s Hall.

People will also be asked to provide feedback on three landscape design options for the viaduct, which focus on either conserving the landscape character, planting additional woodland or creating a marshland concept.

Christoph Brintrup, HS2’s head of landscape said: “Over the last two years we have refined the landscape design for the Balsall Common Viaduct using feedback from residents, businesses and community groups.

"This has resulted in increased landscape integration, visual connectivity and public access being incorporated in the final design stages.”

BBV has already started constructing the 16 piers, which will carry the 425 metre-long viaduct up to ten metres above ground, crossing over Station Road, Bayleys Brook, the Heart of England Way Walk and the village’s floodplain.

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