Volume Ten - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - Even more aspects - Investigation into the Condition of the Ely River Subway 1991 . . .

RECOMMENDATIONS :

Introduction :

The purpose of the investigation was to establish the practicality of re-opening the Subway as a pedestrian link between the Ferry Road Peninsula and Penarth Dock.  This report has established the overall condition of the Subway to be such that reopening should be considered as a viable option.  The following sections of this report recommend what action should be taken if the Subway were to be re-opened and then the minimum requirement for safely abandoning the Subway.

Re-opening the Subway :

We have approached Edmund Nuttall and discussed the logistics of re-opening the subway in order that a budget cost estimate could be established.

Edmund Nuttall are one of the major tunnelling contractors in the United Kingdom and are currently working on the underground extension of the Docklands Light Railway. The build up of the budget figure has therefore been undertaken with the benefit of directly comparable recent experience.

In order that the Subway can be re-opened certain works will be required to achieve a suitable standard. A budget cost estimate for the works involved in achieving this standard is considered to be £1,050,000.

• Greenwich Subway Entrance Pavilion. - We would suggest that the entrance pavilions, consisting of a lift and a circular stepped ramp, similar to the structures on the Greenwich Subway be provided at either end of the Subway. A feature could be made of these structures as they would be positioned at the 'gateway' to the Ely.

Agreement for redeveloping the Subway would have to be reached with Associated British Ports and the developer at Penarth Haven.