Selly Oak Canal Ramp

Overview

As part of the Birmingham Cycle Revolution (BCR) programme, a new canal access ramp will be provided from Bristol Road (Selly Oak), onto the
Worcester and Birmingham Canal, near Selly Oak Station (Birmingham).

This is a busy location for pedestrians and cyclists, being near to Selly Oak Station and Battery Retail Park. The canal towpath was resurfaced in one of the early phases of BCR, in 2015-16. However, there is currently no direct access onto the canal from road level, the only existing access being via the private road known as The Dingle or around Selly Wharf. This route is indirect, narrow, remote and not fully lit, so would not be attractive to many pedestrians or cyclists.

Proposed Changes:

The canal access proposal consists of a new ramp from road level onto the canal towpath beneath. The ramp will be compliant with appropriate design standards to allow access for all users.

Canal and River Trust (CRT) has obtained planning consent from Birmingham City Council for the new ramp.

There is also an associated small highway scheme to allow cyclists to access the canal ramp via a short section of ‘shared use’ footway with dropped kerbs.

The ramp will emerge where there is existing palisade fencing which will be removed to allow access. That is the only change to the access/egress from highway to ramp and the bridge will not be affected by CRT works.

The ramp and associated works to the canal will be delivered by CRT on behalf of Birmingham City Council. The small highway scheme will be delivered by Birmingham City Council.

Impact on Local Ecology:

The scheme requires the removal of some existing vegetation at the side of the canal, including two semi-mature trees. CRT have produced a planting scheme in mitigation.

Where it is not possible to retain a tree, replanting should occur on a 1:3 ratio at the nearest suitable location. Large standard trees planted along the boundary of the development to increase the recovery of the SLINC. These should include Salix caprea (goat willow), Quercus robur (English oak), Tilia cordata (small leaved lime), Sorbus aucuparia (rowan), Acer campestre (field maple) and Crateagus monogyna (hawthorn).

The loss of the wall and its limited associated ecology can be replaced and improved through the replacement of a gabion wall and planting. The proposed new structural wall should be planted with Lonicera periclymenum (honeysuckle), Vicia sylvatica (wood vetch) and Hedera helix (ivy), all at 12 -18'' spaces at the base of the structure. The top of the proposed wall could be seeded with a 'green roof ' type native seed mix that contains species of value to breeding butterflies and pollinators. Wildflower seed should be used through the site post works to recover all disturbed soils.

The proposed changes are shown on the map below: