Installation of Hostile Vehicle Mitigation measures at QEII Olympic Park
Back in December 2023, TMS were commissioned to carry out Stage 2 Road Safety Audits and Mobility Audits at various locations around the London QEII Olympic Park, for new Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) installations. These measures have since been installed, to assist with the implementation of enhanced streetscape furniture within the public realm. Our audit team returned to Stratford in June 2024, to carry out the Stage 3 Post Construction Road Safety Audits, at these locations.
Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) is a generic term that covers a suite of anti-terrorist protective measures that are often employed around buildings or publicly accessible spaces/venues of particular significance. The design of these various vehicle security barriers and landscape treatments came about as security authorities across the world sought to mitigate the effects of vehicle borne improvised explosive devices and vehicle-ramming attacks.
The various installations, within the Olympic Park, are essentially swing gates, which are strategically located to facilitate the Stratford area being a ‘locked down’ protected zone (this may be for large public events at the London Stadium or for ‘threat’ type situations).
In all the locations, the gates are located on footway or central islands parallel to the kerb and locked in place, when not required. The singular or dual gates can then be closed across the carriageway, when required, to prevent vehicular access and are designed to withstand vehicle impacts. All gates have been sympathetically designed to minimise street clutter and interference with existing pedestrian and cycle routes.
As part of HVM installations, it is important that the surroundings remain open and inclusive, and that the addition of physical security measures are designed to protect the public but are integrated and proportionate to the identified threat.
Many cities and venues across the UK are adopting similar HVM measures around government buildings, airports, large railway stations, sports and entertainment venues and crowded night time locations. We expect to be involved with auditing more of these type of Hostile Vehicle Mitigation schemes in the future.
If you have a scheme of this nature that requires a Road Safety Audit, then please call us on +44 (0)24 7669 0900 or alternatively please email Lorna Styring.