Crayford

Start of works at Crayford site

The team is currently accessing the site via the Ladbrokes dog track.

We will build a deep tunnel shaft at our Crayford site to receive the tunnel boring machine from our Hurst substation site. The machine will be removed and dismantled at this location and a headhouse building will be constructed to cover the shaft and provide ventilation and access to the tunnel once it has been built.

The new tunnel will connect our substation at Hurst to the terminal tower at Crayford.

The Crayford site is located on Crayford Meadows in the London Borough of Bexley, to the south of the Crayford Greyhound Track and next to the Crayford terminal tower.

Planning approval from the London Borough of Bexley for the headhouse and temporary access road through Stadium Way, past the Greyhound Stadium, was received in December 2019. We have also received permission for permanent flood compensation storage areas in Crayford Meadows as the site is within a flood zone.
 

Timeline

• Shrub clearance and ground investigation works began in September 2021.

• Digging the shaft began in mid July 2021 and took approximately six months.

• The TBM arrived from our Hurst site in January 2023.

• The headhouse construction will begin in late 2023.
   

Site specific FAQs

Access

We are currently accessing the site via Stadium Way and through Ladbrokes dog track to minimise impact to the public using the footpath next to the site.
 

Traffic

We anticipate that there will be a low volume of HGV movements – approximately 6 HGV movements per day during shaft construction, and 4 per week during headhouse construction.

We anticipate increased vehicle movements on site in preparation for lifting the TBM out of the shaft in February 2023.

Working hours

The site team are currently working a 24/7 shift pattern. No work on Bank Holidays is expected.
 

Dimensions

The shaft will be approximately 12.5m in diameter and 16m deep.  The headhouse will reach a maximum height of 10m.