The Leader page

Getting two new stations back on track (Thursday 01/11/07)

» Send us your comments now
» More share your views

Please read our publishing policy

This week, I am meeting with Network Rail bosses to find out what they plan to do to get the two promised stations on the West London line back on track. The two stations, at Shepherds Bush and Imperial Wharf, both appear on some maps and A-Zs, but are still not open to the public.

At Imperial Wharf, I am asking Network Rail to rein in their spiralling costs. We recently persuaded developers St George to contribute an extra £1.25million towards the cost of the station – but there is still a significant shortfall. Working with Kensington & Chelsea Council and Transport for London, we had a £6.5million funding package agreed in the summer. But, at the eleventh hour Network Rail’s fees jumped. They now estimate the total cost at £7.93million – more than four times the original cost. The Fulham station was supposed to open last September, but without agreement on the funding black hole it is difficult to predict when it may now be completed.

Built in preparation for the massive Westfield London shopping centre in White City, the overland station at Shepherds Bush has been almost ready to open for months. But safety experts have ruled that the station’s platform is 18 inches too narrow. Residents are understandably furious that these two stations are not open yet and in one case construction has not even started. We must get this right and we cannot stand by and watch things drag on.

I am also increasingly concerned about the plan to curtail services to Gatwick Airport at Clapham Junction from December 2008. Passengers from the airport will have to get out at platform 17, which is very narrow, and carry their luggage up a very narrow staircase and over the footbridge to catch a train to Victoria. The direct link from Kensington Olympia to Gatwick is vital. It makes no sense to force people either to use Victoria Station or Clapham Junction, as both stations are very crowded. Together with my counterparts at Kensington & Chelsea, Wandsworth and Brent councils, I have sent a letter to Network Rail and Southern Railways, who run the services, protesting at the move.

We are working with the West London Line Group and the other boroughs to reverse this decision.

The Hammersmith strawberry affair

Planning permission was granted this week for a controversial office block and cinema on the corner of Hammersmith Grove. This was a difficult decision. There were major concerns about the size and design of the scheme, but this tatty car park site has been an eyesore for years and it is an important spot for the regeneration of Hammersmith town centre.

There has been considerable criticism of the lack of pre-application consultation by the developers, but, at the last minute, council officials were able to negotiate major concessions to allay some of our concerns. As a result, Hammersmith Grove will remain wide enough for two lanes of traffic, and the developer will pay for 80 car parking spaces in King’s Mall shopping centre to reduce the impact of parking at the new site.

Keeping Hammersmith’s commercial sector competitive is critical and increased quality office space is vital at a time when competitors like Paddington, Chiswick and Victoria are looking stronger. This development comes at a time when demand for grade A office space has rocketed in Hammersmith town centre. Over recent years, companies such as Paramount, Google, Discovery Channel and Cadbury Schwepps have all tried but failed to find office space within the borough. Added to that is the probability of an even larger proposal for the site, once the Mayor of London, with his penchant for tall buildings, takes over planning powers from us next year. On balance, I think approval of this smaller development, with the added parking and traffic concessions, is the best achievable balance for this important site.

Listening to residents on parks licences

We have had a considerable response from residents to a proposal for a one-off licence for events at both Ravenscourt and Bishop’s parks, and I am pleased to be able to tell you that significant changes have been made to the terms of the licences to meet residents’ concerns. Our parks managers were attempting to reduce the bureaucracy and costs by applying for a blanket licence to cover all our planned events, such as our fireworks displays and the Boat Race. But the move raised residents’ concerns that the scale of events could be increased as a result. Licensing committee approved the applications, but with considerable restrictions designed to limit the number of events, to minimize noise and disruption and ensure anyone running events in parks meets the cost of cleaning up afterwards. Our sole aim for our parks is to improve them for the enjoyment of borough residents and I am pleased officers, and the committee, have listened and responded to residents’ views.

Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh

---*---
H&F council welcome your feedback and input - you can reply to the Leader online via the H&F website. However, H&F council are unable to publish any material of an overtly political nature. Please make sure you read and understand the council's full online Publishing Policy before sharing your views.
---*---

We welcome the excellent efforts being made by the leader to try and progress the long overdue station at Imperial Wharf. Can we be advised of the outcome of his meeting with Network Rail? We are concerned that if there are any further delays, the current tender will expire and shortly the contractor will not be able to hold to the quoted price. The project will then have to be re-tendered and/or cancelled. Look forward to a full update even if this means bad news.
From James Wilson (West London Line Group) on 27/11/07

Reference the Chelsea Harbour/Imperial Wharf railway station. Could the council state clearly whether or not this is a dead duck or whether there is some hope for residents that it will be built?
From Ian Lachlan on 17/11/07

Thank you for a calm and reasoned letter - delighted the NCP car park/strawberry plans have gone through and that concessions have been made by the developers. Good to know you are on the case of the missing new stations! I feel in good hands!
From Fiona Gaunt on 06/11/07

Hi, I don't normally reply to email things, but your endless bulletins are just winding me up when I know that I am living in the worst run borough in London. The streets are filthy, terrible rates, and massive crime (in my job I have access to the proper stats on crime from MPS, Thames House, and even Vauxhall Cross). After over 5 years of living in the H&F borough, I have had enough, especially when the dribble in your email bulletins comes through but never any real improvement for your residents. Why cannot you clean your streets like ANY other London borough? H&F is the filthiest borough in London. I’m including the very poor ones in this statement... Why cannot you control parking so that residents can get a space at 10pm when home from work? Other boroughs do - I can drive to Chelsea and park in an instant (or Kensington or Putney for that matter). Why do you allow so much seemingly unplanned disruption to the streets for road works etc? TfL have a very good system (which I helped write) which schedules and controls street disruption. Why do you have the only single yellow lines with "double red" type restrictions in force? I have been towed 300m from my house because of a tiny 10" by 3" sign stating that the single yellow line was actually not as it seemed... Why don’t your rubbish collectors (I know that they are contracted out) empty the bins? They all just take whatever bags are easiest to take. Again, other councils don’t have this problem. Sorry for the rant, but frankly, you deserve it. Shocking council, I hope you are all ashamed. I would love to see my representative views published on your website.
From Warrick Johnston on 02/11/07

Reference the Olympia to Gatwick train service. The proposed curtailment of this vital rail link was first suggested in the Strategic Rail Authority RUS as long ago as 2004. I'm not sure if the council made any response - they were certainly consulted. The survey on passenger numbers was carried out at a time when the route was seriously disrupted by the engineering work on the West Coast line - hence the numbers were totally unrepresenative. The service has never been properly marketed - people find it by accident. Nevertheless, patronage has risen to the point that many trains are now full and standing. It is crazy to withdraw the through trains at a time when cross-London rail links are being developed and encouraged.
From Dr Nicholas Theobald on 02/11/07