The acoustic shed, seen from the air, next to the Greenwich Pumping Station, 
which was built during Sir Joseph's Bazalgette's sewer network in 1865.

A giant ‘acoustic shed’ built to enable the construction of part of London’s super sewer is being dismantled after years of tunnelling work in Greenwich.

The 17.5m-high shed was built to reduce noise and dust pollution at Tideway’s site at Greenwich Pumping Station and allow work to progress as quickly as possible with tunnelling 24 hours a day.

Insulated acoustic panelling meant that work on a 4.5km connection tunnel linking Greenwich to the main super sewer could continue with minimal disruption to local residents.

And now, after nearly five years of underground work and the completion of the tunnelling work, the shed is being dismantled.

Antoine Cheval, the site agent overseeing the shed dismantling works for Tideway, said: “Removing this giant shed from site is a major milestone for our work at Greenwich Pumping Station.

“Every single pre-cast concrete segment to create the tunnel as well as every inch of excavated spoil has come through this structure over the past few years.

“So to be finally taking it down is a huge achievement and brings the project and London closer than ever to its ultimate goal of protecting the River Thames from sewage pollution.”

At roughly 20m wide and around 60m long, the structure has a footprint of around 1,200m² – bigger than four doubles’ tennis courts put together.

The shed will now have a second life following its reassembly at a subcontractor’s site in Rainham, Essex.

Tideway will begin testing the system next year, diverting live storm flows of untreated sewage away from the River Thames for the first time. The system will be fully operational in 2025. Once complete, 95% of sewage pollution into the River Thames in London will be prevented.

An artist's impression of the underground works at Greenwich Pumping Station, 
with the pink tunnel representing the 4.5km connection to the super sewer.