Editorial text from Grand Union Alliance Report of First Old Oak Common & Park Royal Charette, held in Brent on 15 November 2014:

Transcription

1 Editorial text from Grand Union Alliance Report of First Old Oak Common & Park Royal Charette, held in Brent on 15 November 2014: Morning session Theresa Magee, Wesley Estate Residents Associaton (Ealing) and Jagrati Bhatia, White City Estate (Hammersmith & Fulham) welcomed attendees to the conference. They jointly chaired the morning session. Update on Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation by Michael Mulhern, Interim Head of Planning, Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation The Government is currently in a petitioning process around the HS2 proposals and the new station at Old Oak Common. The Mayor s aspirations relate to the potential economic benefits (to the UK) of bringing HS2 into Old Oak Common. The new stations, HS2 and Crossrail, would handle 250,000 people - equivalent to Waterloo station. Both national and regional connectivity would be good. It is already only 15 minutes from both Clapham Junction and Richmond to Willesden Junction. A new hub, which might be something like the Kings Cross development, well-designed and accessible could be created. Two years ago the Government asked the GLA about the possibility of HS2 being situated at Old Oak Common, and for an investigation to be carried out into what might be delivered in terms of new homes and jobs. The Vision for Old Oak Common was published in 2013 and now the GLA is looking at both a revamp of this [an OAPF addition to the London Plan, and then a LP] and how they might engage local communities in developing a planning document. The only existing Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) is the London Legacy Development Corporation, which has the responsibility for delivering the legacy of the Olympic Games. The LLDC had 10 billion of government funding. The Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) would not have that kind of funding, but [it would have] a new HS2 station that could act as a catalyst. It was proposed that there was a need for a single governance structure to cover this area that is currently situated in parts of three boroughs and which has different processes for getting things signed off. A boundary was proposed for the new planning authority, which has been consulted on. (Taken from an audio recording of the session. The red highlighting is mine.) 1

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3 London Development Agency map of north London development areas 3

4 Map courtesy of Disused Stations web site 4

5 Map courtesy of carto.metro web site 5

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10 New rail line needed to tackle traffic at Brent Cross JC2 - Various images - Landscape 23 January 2008 The huge planned Brent Cross development should include a light rail line in order to reduce traffic growth, according to a new report published by the London group of the Campaign for Better Transport. Without the new line, the large residential and retail development would have a massive traffic impact: an extra 133,000 people and 29,000 extra vehicles are expected to travel into the area each weekday [1]. There are 8,000 car parking spaces in the existing shopping centre [2], 7,500 additional spaces planned in the new residential element and an untold number in the commercial elements of the new scheme. The highway network and road junctions in the area would have to be enlarged to cope with the extra traffic. But a new rail line would connect and improve access to the existing Brent Cross tube station and a planned new Thameslink station, both rather remotely sited on the edge of the development. It would provide a public transport spine through the development from the existing shopping centre to the new residential and commercial district on the other side of the North Circular. It could then continue south to Park Royal, linking large parts of Barnet, Brent and Ealing, using existing underused railway lines and connecting the Northern, Central, Jubilee, Piccadilly and Bakerloo Tube lines, the overground and Thameslink [3]. Norman Beddington, chair of Campaign for Better Transport s London group, said: "Brent Cross is only one of 42 areas where the forecast growth in London s housing and employment is to be concentrated. There s already too much traffic. If they all increase traffic as Brent Cross will do, we are in serious trouble. We really can t go on planning these developments as though no one had ever heard of global warming. We must plan for alternatives to the car, hence our proposal for a new Brent Cross rail line. This is intended to provoke debate." [4] Notes to editors [1] All information about the traffic impact of the proposed Brent Cross development is taken from the transport chapter of the Cricklewood, Brent Cross and West Hendon Development Framework, posted on the London Borough of Barnet s website: [2] For information about the existing Brent Cross shopping centre, including the number of parking spaces, see its website: [3] The new line could use 5 existing stations and serve 3 new stations at Brent Cross and others at Gladstone Park, Taylors Lane and Park Royal Central. [4] The Mayor s London Plan identifies 42 Opportunity Areas and Areas for Intensification where many of London s new jobs and homes should be located. Brent Cross is one of these. 10

11 JC2 - Various images - Landscape "Barnet councillor Kath McGuirk, the Labour spokeswoman for environment and transport, said: There is a huge gap in transport links in Barnet, and there is clearly a need for something to be done. A light railway is a great place to start. Not everyone wants to travel from Barnet into central London, yet there are no [fixed, high-capacity] transport links that go across the borough. A classic example is the two branches of the Northern Line, which do not meet up until Camden. 11

12 BRENT CROSS can pay for light-rail! Desirable, Feasible, Affordable! to Ealing and Wembley to West Hampstead & Finchley Road The current plans for Brent Cross will destroy the chance of light-rail for ever! Help to stop the Brent Cross plan see: Send a protest letter or to the Secretary of State for Local Government. Details of light-rail: Pre-war Northern Heights extensions (abandoned 1952) and NWLLR page in Wikipedia. 12

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14 Unanimously 14

15 Unanimously (sort of) Willesden & Brent Times, (There was a similar motion to the Ealing, Harrow and Brent ones, placed before Camden Council, but the authority is family-friendly, and closed its meeting promptly at 10pm, before the motion could be put. 15

16 JC2 - Various images - Landscape Possible orbital North and West London Light Railway Harrow Barnet Haringey Brent Ealing Camden Hillingdon 16

17 Using Thameslink freight line, plus alongside Northern Line track...extension east to Piccadilly Line and main lines from Kings Cross and Liverpool St. Other destinations within the Wembley estate are possible Added when A5 area is redeveloped Under North Circular at Girder Bridge near IKEA & Tesco, along Chiltern Line Take over Mill Hill East branch, or run alongside with light-rail track. A footpath/cycleway at Copthall is retained. New Central Line platforms may be built here 5-Billion due to be spent at Brent Cross over 20 years! Take over Central Line, after Ealing Crossrail opens Future High-Speed Two tracks? Light-rail tracks from Brent and Barnet? Sharing the freight line across Brent. (Freight rail traffic expansion not affected) Using Thameslink freight line(s) Possible routes for two light-rail lines at Brent Cross. Developers do not want to know. Original estimate is 29,000 extra cars every day instead. A5 Shopping centre A41 Light-rail is AFFORD- ABLE if planning gain money from developments is used intelligently not like now! North Acton (Central Line) looking east 17

18 Exact routes and stations shown are only illustrative. Copyright acknowledged of the underlying map. 18

19 Business chiefs will back west London Tube line - Railnews article, undated A LONDON Chamber of Commerce has plans for a 1.75 billion north -south underground line in west London to ease the area s chronic traffic congestion. Linking Brent Cross in the north to Kingston in the south, the line would pass through Wembley, Park Royal, Ealing, Brentford and Richmond, and create interchanges with key radial underground and surface railways. It is envisaged that driverless trains would operate at high frequency, similar to those on the Docklands Light Railway and the recently 19

20 Wembley Park Royal Fast Bus A proposal for an express transport link between Wembley Park and Park Royal to give a fast and convenient [orbital] link between all twelve radial rail routes in north-west London - the Northern, Metropolitan, Jubilee, Bakerloo, Central, Piccadilly and District Lines, TfL Rail's London Overground, and National Rail services of First Capital Connect, Chiltern Railways, First Great Western, and Heathrow Connect. Ultimately, the Uxbridge Road Corridor and Crossrail could be added to the project. - text from the PARK ROYAL PARTNERSHIP LB of Brent sponsored Fast Bus, and included an aspiration to reach Brent Cross and the Northern Line station, as well as strategic planning for Fast Bus or a tram system at Staples Corner, the A5/North Circular Road junction. Brent also built bus lanes in Park Royal for Fast Bus, which have never been used. 20

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23 Network Rail, October 2007 Taking cognisance of the new station development, and the re-modelling of Cricklewood sidings, any work done at the current Cricklewood station would be potentially abortive cost. The recommended option is to utilise Selective Door Opening [at the] station, configured to allow the maximum length of a 12-car train possible to stop at the existing platforms. Once the new Cricklewood station becomes operational, a decision will have to be made as to the future of the current Cricklewood station. [My emphasis] Minutes of Welsh Harp Joint Consultative Committee, 21 March 2013 Senior Planning Officer, Major Developments, Environment, Planning and Regeneration, LB of Barnet said: Concerns were raised over the future of the Hendon Rail Station, as a result of new rail station proposals associated with the Brent Cross Cricklewood development. I have had confirmation from [LB of Barnet] Transport and Regeneration Manager who dealt with this aspect of the Brent Cross Cricklewood submission that, whilst the future of Cricklewood Station could be in question as a result of the proposals, the approved scheme would not result in the closure of Hendon station. 23

24 Independent editorial on the New Cricklewood Station, undated JC2 - Various images - Landscape What Capita Barnet will deliver. 24 of 24