Townscape safeguards Birmingham New Street
Perimeter protection specialist, Townscape Products, is helping to safeguard more than 170,000 daily passengers at the newly refurbished Birmingham New Street station.
Townscape has installed 20 of its bespoke PAS 68 Counter Terror (CT) Blocks and three SS PAS 68 planters, designed to stop vehicle-based attacks, as part of the £750 million transformation of Birmingham New Street.
Townscape was appointed to develop a tailored perimeter security solution which would not only protect the building from hostile vehicle attacks, but also create a high quality urban landscape at the base of the transport hub.
Jonathan Goss, managing director of Townscape said:
“The newly renovated station sees more than 170,000 passengers in transit a day and will attract thousands more visitors with the new shopping complex, so a robust hostile vehicle mitigation (HMV) system was needed to defend the busy hub. In 2003 the old Birmingham New Street was voted the ugliest building in Britain. To help discredit that we were determined to providing perimeter protection which was aesthetically pleasing and blend in with the modernisation of the newly designed station, whilst also providing an open but secure perimeter.
“We worked to develop and install three stainless steel SS PAS 68 planters around the front of the building and 20 granite clad PAS 68 CT Blocks around the taxi rank, which tied into the new look of the station. The CT blocks were topped with granite and anti-skater studs, for a high quality, anti-vandalism finish.”
The 100mm low profile foundation required by CT Blocks made the installation easy and with no disruption to underground infrastructure. Townscape took its leading HMV product, the CT Block, and gave it additional purposes as security seating for this special project. Visitors to the new station will enjoy a public plaza, unaware that the seating and landscaping has been creatively designed to provide the utmost protection.
One of the leading HVM systems on the market, CT Blocks are manufactured at Townscape’s Sutton-in-Ashfield factory. Each weigh in at 2.2 tonnes and are made using a special mix of aggregates designed for ultimate strength. The CT Blocks only require minimal groundwork due to their low profile foundation, making them cost effective to install without compromising security. The blocks are positioned where a building is vulnerable to vehicular incursion and meet the PAS 68 standard for vehicle immobilisation.
Townscape’s integrated HVM range, which includes blocks, bollards, barriers and planters has been designed to give an aesthetically pleasing solution, fitting into the landscape surroundings.
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