Calls for rethink on Crossrail 2 station in Dalston
Hackney Council is calling for a fundamental rethink over proposals for a new Crossrail 2 station in Dalston, which would see homes and businesses demolished and Ridley Road Market disrupted.
The Council has also urged Transport for London not to use Shoreditch Park or the Britannia Leisure Centre for an access and ventilation shaft to serve the Crossrail 2 line.
TfL’s current proposals for the new underground station in Dalston, which would have entrances near Dalston Junction and Dalston Kingsland Overground stations and take five to eight years to build, include:
- Demolition of homes and businesses in and around Bradbury Street to create a new station entrance and ticket hall.
- Construction of a vent shaft and escalator in Birkbeck Mews, off Ridley Road.
- Construction of station tunnels, vent shaft, station entrance and ticket hall, on land to the south of Dalston Junction, around Bentley Road car park.
As well as opposing the works by Dalston Kingsland, the Council has asked for more details on the plans around Dalston Junction to ensure the impact on listed buildings and heritage sites is as limited as possible.
TfL also need to build an access and ventilation shaft in the Shoreditch park area. It would take about six years to build and result in a permanent structure at least two storeys high with a 25m x 25m footprint. Five potential locations have been suggested – the northwest of Shoreditch Park, Britannia Leisure Centre building, Britannia Leisure Centre car park, and two sites on Eagle Wharf Road.
The Britannia Leisure Centre site has been earmarked by the Council for major redevelopment. Plans are still to be finalised, but will include a new secondary school and leisure centre.
A ventilation shaft will also be needed in the north of the borough. TfL is proposing it be located at the southern end of Stamford Hill road.
The Council supports the opportunity of a Crossrail 2 station in Dalston, but it should not come at the expense of residents, local businesses or the area’s much-loved character.
“The Council has made it clear to TfL that it cannot support the demolition of properties in and around Bradbury Street, and is supporting residents and businesses in calling for a fundamental rethink on the proposals. This is a vibrant part of Dalston town centre and home to a number of residents and valued independent businesses in buildings that make a real contribution to the area’s architectural heritage.
“There is a great deal of concern about the proposals to construct a ventilation shaft in nearby Birkbeck Mews which could have a serious impact on the day-to-day running of Ridley Road Market as well as the nearby Colvestone Primary School.
“Proposals for an access and ventilation shaft on the site of the Britannia Leisure Centre or in Shoreditch Park are unacceptable. Shoreditch is one of the fastest growing communities in Hackney, placing great demand on the park and its leisure facilities. The Britannia Leisure Centre site has also been earmarked for improvements and is planned to be redeveloped with a new secondary school to meet the demand for school places.
“Constructive discussions are ongoing with TfL about how negative impacts from Crossrail 2 can be minimised while planning for the opportunities this major public transport scheme will create as and when it’s built. Council officers and ward councillors will be working hard to ensure Crossrail 2 strikes the balance between the need for improved transport links and long term sustainable regeneration that supports our residents and businesses, and adds to the borough’s character.
The Council made its comments as part of its formal response to TfL’s latest round of consultations on Crossrail 2.
It also took this opportunity to re-iterate its calls for an eastern line of Crossrail 2, which would travel through Hackney Central and Hackney Wick and then onto Newham, Barking and Dagenham and Essex. This has been called the East London Riverside Route.
Currently, part of an eastern route is shown in the plans for Crossrail 2, but only as a ‘future option’ and with no plan and no guarantee that it would form even a Phase 2 to the scheme.
The latest research shows the expected population growth and the demand for new homes and jobs in east London will not be adequately served by existing transport infrastructure nor projects in construction, such as Crossrail 1. The demand to the east is greater than the growth planned in the areas served by the two current Phase 1 routes for north London.
Cllr Nicholson said: “East London is already experiencing tremendous business and housing growth, and is without doubt the region of the capital best placed for further regeneration. Indeed, if we are to have any hope of overcoming London’s current housing crisis and maximising the potential for economic growth and job creation, comprehensively addressing the transport requirements of east London is essential.
“Although committed rail infrastructure investments such as Crossrail 1 are welcome, over the longer term they will prove inadequate to keep pace with, let alone enable, continued growth in east London. An inadequate transport network in east London will of course affect local residents and businesses, but will also work against London’s future competiveness.
“We believe that if we are to unlock the full potential of east London’s housing and business growth, essential to ensure the capital as a whole continues to flourish in the decades ahead, an East London Riverside Route of Crossrail 2 must be prioritised as part of the proposals, and at the very least a Phase 2 committed to now.”
Crossrail 2 is a proposed railway link between Surrey and Hertfordshire, via central London. It is planned to be running by 2030 and is being developed jointly by Network Rail and TfL.
In London, the line would run through a 20-mile underground tunneled section between Wimbledon and Tottenham Hale. In North London, TfL’s latest proposal is for the main line to split after passing under Stamford Hill - one branch heading north through Tottenham before continuing to Hertford East, the other going to northwest to New Southgate, via Seven Sisters.
TFL’s consultation documents on the Crossrail 2 proposals in Hackney are available online (The station at Dalston / The vent shaft shafts). This consultation is just one of many which will take place on various different elements of the Crossrail 2 proposals in Hackney.
A copy of the Council’s full response is available on request.