Clapham Junction Action Group

CJAG proposal for the redevelopment of Clapham Junction station

Author: Cyril Richert 

Over the last 3 years, we have been supported by many local residents, associations and councillors who were keen to join us to express their concerns about Clapham Junction and particularly the station.

In 2009, we have been involved in the campaign against the project to erect two 42 storey towers on top of the train station. With letters and petitions, we were supported by more than a thousand local residents expressing their objections to the proposal, but also their wish to redevelop the facility.

We are concerned that our involvement should not just be reactive, but a positive contribution to any new development. Clapham Junction Station is currently 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.

For many months we have collected ideas and opinions, asking for residents and local stakeholders to participate and express their views, concerns and opinions on the future of our station. All comments have been published on the website (here) and area also available at the bottom of this post.

We have now published the dossier of the Clapham Junction Action Group along with the Annex documents.

Our main conclusion is:

All recent examples show that instead of having a vision for the future of the rail station, the authorities have always reacted to “patch” urgent and critical issues (congestion and overcrowding lead to the opening of Brighton Yard, capacity regulation forced an urgent workout on Grant Road side). All those problems were however highlighted by users and local residents for years.

With the failure to achieve any redevelopment for Clapham Junction in the past decade, along with the lack of a global planning for any long term commitment, the situation will be exacerbated with passengers and services increasing.

In an ideal world, a regeneration of the Clapham Junction area would consist of a fabulous new station complex on the site of the existing buildings South of the tracks on the model of Birmingham New Street. This would recognise the function of the site as a station, and allow a reasonable development of additional office and retail facilities without creating the eyesore of high rise residential blocks.

The redevelopment of Clapham Junction station is Network Rail’s responsibility. The site should easily justify such a development based on passenger numbers, and we believe that this should remain our aspiration.

You can download all documents below:

DOSSIER: Station Redevelopment Proposal-July11

ANNEX1: Consultation MSF 2009 (42-storey skyscrapers)

ANNEX2: contribution received by CJAG:

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

Distribution:

A hard copy of the dossier (with annex) has been sent (or given during meetings) within the past 3 weeks to:

• Network Rail – Paul Plummer
• Office of Rail Regulation – John Larkinson, Nick O’Hara
• Steer Davies Gleave (consulting company commissioned by Network Rail to review investments) – Vicky Thompson
• Secretary of State for Transport, The Rt Hon MP (Putney/Wandsworth) – Justine Greening
• Wandsworth Council, Environment and Community Services – Tony McDonald, Martin Howell
• Wandsworth Council, Strategic Planning and Transportation Committee – Cllr Russell King
• Northcote Ward Councillors – Cllr Jenny Browne, Cllr Peter Dawson, Cllr Martin Johnson
• Labour Group – Cllr Tony Belton
• Battersea Society – David Lewis
• Wandsworth Society – Philip Whyte
• Wandsworth Guardian – Alexandra Rucki
• South London Press –  Lindsay Burns, Paul Dietrich

October 28, 2011 at 12:12 pm 1 comment