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UTILITY WEEK | NOVEMBER 2021 | 41 Utility Week Live 2022 See this content brought to life at Utility Week Live, 17-18 May 2022, NEC Birmingham the square in 2012, and safely storing these to be restored next year. Gunning points out that because of the 17 dif- ferent sizes within the collection of slabs and the intri- cate pattern they were laid in, each one has had to be individually catalogued so it can be returned to its exact original location. There was also the question of the London plane trees dotted around the site, each of which is valued at c£800,000. An on-site aboriculturalist oversees any work that goes near the famous branches. Then there was the iconic ticket booth in the centre of the square, which also acts as a ventilation sha€ for the substation. To allow tickets sales to continue once lock- down was li€ ed, the operation was incorporated into the hoardings. Despite my visions of a James Bond-style descent from the fake ticket booth into the depths of the sta- tion, the works entrance is via a more prosaic hatch a few yards along. Gunning and his team took me on a fascinating tour of the underground lair, although sadly national security and vanity prevents me from sharing my full PPE sel‡ es with Utility Week readers. Gunning says the project is on budget and on track to ‡ nish next November. He adds: "This is without doubt one of the most prestigious and high-pro‡ le projects I've managed. We have a great team and everyone is proud to be a part. The biggest challenges are the high-pro‡ le location, the fact that the substation is below ground and the logistics required to exchange large items of plant in such a densely populated environment. "The approach we took during the planning and design stage was a proactive one, making sure to engage the stakeholders and community from the outset. "At this point of the project, approximately 50% of the way through the construction phase, it is clear from the feedback and collaborative responses received that this has proven to be a bene‡ t not only to our Alliance team but also to the residents and businesses of the square. "Being able to form these relationships has allowed the project to progress seamlessly to where we are now, ahead of our programme, on budget and with an immac- ulate health and safety record." James Wallin, editor Photo: UKPN Photo: James Wallin Photo: James Wallin