Your chance to contribute: tell us what your think on CJ station redevelopment

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Over the last 14 months, we have been supported by many local residents, associations and councillors who were keen to join with us expressing their concerns about Clapham Junction and particularly the station.

We have already met with directors from the Office of Rail Regulation and senior managers from Network Rail (meetings organised by MP Martin Linton), who will be responsible for delivering any improvement project to redevelop the station. Within the next two years, these bodies will determine the funding allocation up to 2020.

are concerned that our involvement should not just be reactive, but a positive contribution to any new development. Clapham Junction Station is the biggest junction in Europe. It is in a disgraceful state, a national scandal, and as such it should be treated as a priority. Money is, as always, the stumbling block but with the help of concerned people we may be able to inspire more imaginative thinking about the scope of the opportunity without resorting to skyscrapers to pay for it.

Although many statutory, political and business forums will be consulted before any plans are drawn up, this is an opportunity for local residents to have their say.

For example:

  • Would you welcome a new station building on the site of the current Stop Shop and adjacent buildings, and if so, should it make a landmark for Clapham Junction or seek to blend in with the current style of buildings in the area?
  • If taller buildings are to be included in the development to make it viable, how tall should they reasonably be?
  • What suggestions would you make for improving access between St John’s Road and Grant Road and the station platforms in between? Should the current underpass and overpass be retained and how could they be enhanced? Should further overpasses/underpasses be added?
  • What is your vision for the entrance of Grant Road? St John’s Hill? Should the redevelopment concentrate on the station buildings solely or include destroying the adjacent building to redesign the full area?
  • How much shopping do you think should be made available in any development and should space be made available for office businesses?
  • What should be done to improve access to the station across and along the busy roads around?
  • What prime conditions should be addressed for any redevelopment of the station?

We would be happy to collect the views of the community to make a case to Network Rail (an example of the dossier that could be presented with your contributions is available here in PDF).

Please send your views (letter/graphs/notes…) on the station area to:

Key Facts on the station

The Station: Current Situation
Clapham Junction Station is the busiest train interchange in Britain and is used by 19.8 million recorded passengers per year starting or finishing their journeys at the station (not including changes between trains, which increases the figure to 36.57 million passengers). There is a 30% planned growth by 2026.
Passenger congestion is already a major issue during the am and pm peak travel periods. Passengers using the St John’s Hill ticket hall are regularly affected by congestion. Grant Road provides an unwelcoming approach with adjacent derelict and boarded up buildings and the entrance is closed at 11pm.
The subway experiences severe congestion during the am & pm peak flows and throughout much of the day. The current congestion levels at Clapham Junction, both on platforms and inside the station, are in need of long term sustainable solutions.
Extensions and perspectives

Improvements and funding

  • Network Rail is currently installing lifts at Clapham Junction Station, to provide access to each platform from the footbridge as part of the government’s ‘Access for All’ programme – 2010. [£8.5m]
  • Additional entrance and ticket hall will be created with parking and a drop-off area in Brighton Yard for taxis and cars (see plans on our website) – 2011. [£1.5m]
  • Small improvements and cosmetic [£2m]
  • Wider footways, street furniture, cycle lanes, road diversion (Council’s “Exemplar Scheme”) [£3m]
  • Additional funding announced by the Transport Secretary: £10m. Projects to be decided.
  • Platform lengthening and straightening at [£20m] Cancelled as NR considered it is no longer necessary!

Contributions received

We list below with dates the contributions we received. This list will be updated a.s.a.p. with new contributions.

  1. Example of redevelopment with Basel Station
  2. 01/02/2010-KateWilliams
  3. 10/02/2010-Tony Papard
  4. 17/02/2010-Judith Howard
  5. 17/02/2010-Michael
  6. 19/02/2010-David Hargreaves
  7. 26/02/2010-Sue Vidovic
  8. 08/03/2010-Derrick Johnson
  9. 08/03/2010-Janet Johnson
  10. 09/03/2010-Richard Gott
  11. 10/03/2010-S Rose
  12. 19/03/2010-Carol Jennings
  13. 24/04/2010-Cyril Richert
  14. 05/05/2010-Julia Matcham
  15. 12/05/2010-David Curran
  16. 13/05/2010-Lynda Mathewson
  17. 13/05/2010-Paul Forrester
  18. 15/05/2010-Tim Glass
  19. 15/05/2010-Marianne I. van Abbe
  20. 16/05/2010-David Hargreaves
  21. 16/05/2010-Will Henderson
  22. 19/05/2010-Pat Johnson
  23. 31/05/2010-Elaine Macfarlane
  24. 06/06/2010-Marney Rd
  25. 06/07/2010-Judith Howard
  26. 01/09/2010-Craig Liversidge
  27. 23/10/2010-Peter Deakins
  28. 30/11/2010-Wandsworth Labour Group
  29. 12/01/2011-Halldor Fossa
  30. 03/06/2011-Battersea Society

Please send your views (letter/graphs/notes…) on the station area to:

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CJI editor and Clapham Junction Action Group co-founder and coordinator since 2008, Cyril has lived in Clapham Junction since 2001.
He is also funder and CEO of Habilis-Digital Ltd, a digital agency creating and managing websites and Internet solutions.

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5 Comments

  1. Clapham Junction development seems to be retrospective, any work that is done merely raises the level of facilities and access to the current demands with no anticipation of future growth. I bought my flat in 1990 (Beauchamp Road) and have seen the growth in the Clapham Junction.
    ACCESS
    If there was ever a need to evacuate the station the underpass would be dangerous, and people would not get through the limited turnstiles safely. In rush hour, when people are calm, it is slow to exit. It is the able bodied people who manage best; people with luggage, children or disabilities can find it stressful at any time of day.
    LIFTS
    It is negligent that Clapham Junction has no lifts – for wheelchair uses, travellers with suitcases, prams as well as commuters. This fact makes me furious, and the lack of accountability is unacceptable.
    SURROUNDING BUILDINGS
    Should be no higher the 6 storeys, preferably 4. Tall buildings block out sun and create wind tunnel effect which is something to be avoided.
    I look forward to a project that will accommodate the growth for a period beyond the completion of the work, not the bare minimum
    regards
    Lynda Mathewson

  2. your vision for the entrance of St John’s Hill?
    The plans for an additional entrance in brighton yard look good. I guess it would relieve overcrowding in the current ticket hall and underpass. For those who live in the lavender hill / latchmere road area, the entrance from the car park on the east side of the existing building is also used quite extensively. I would strongly back keeping an entrance on this side of the existing building, for quick access to and from the platforms. Does anyone know if that is in the plans or not?
    Thanks for putting our views forward.

  3. Paul Forrester> There is no plan currently. That is a reason why I think we should be proactive an have the opportunity to collect people’s views.

  4. As I mentioned in my comments on the original proposals for tower blocks, Clapham Junction needs to integrate trains and particularly bus transfer, but also good facilitoes for taxis and car drop off points.
    Vauxhall moves in the right direction and Hanmmersmith Broadway is a good example of integration of buses, underground stations and shops.
    If high rise bulidings are the only way to finance the necessary redevelopment, they should be permitted. Remember that more Council Tax per square metre of frontage results, to the advantage of us all.

  5. In regards to the station proposal, In addition to our Graduate Diploma, final year thesis project, I have produced a consept of my own for the redevelopment for Clapham Junction Station. This website is to advertise our work and allow the us to implement our project into a format which approaches the general public and encourage comments from unknown viewers of the proposal. If you visit http://www.territorialnetworking.com and leave comments on what you think with regards to the proposal and is it a feasible concept?

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