Key information
Petition presented by: Kit Malthouse
Date petition submitted: Wednesday 10 February 2016
Petition presented at: London Assembly Plenary
Summary of petition
‘We, the undersigned strongly object to and oppose the proposal to build a CrossRail2 station at the Kings Road Station site. We already have excellent tube services and bus services serving Chelsea. The building of a main line train station and large retail development would destroy the special character of Chelsea. Routing the line to avoid the diversion to Chelsea would save both over £1bn and longer journey times on Crossrail2.’
Response information
Response title: Mayor's Response
Name of person responding: Boris Johnson, Chairman of Transport for London
Response date: Wednesday 9 March 2016
“Thank you for your letter of 12 February 2016, enclosing the petition presented by Kit Malthouse relating to Crossrail 2. Transport for London (TfL) has also received a copy directly from the petitioner.
TfL is currently analysing the approximately 20,000 responses it received to the recent Crossrail 2 consultation. Once this is complete, it will publish a consultation report, currently expected this month. This report will set out the range of views put forward through the consultation process. Over the course of the spring, Crossrail 2 will undertake further design development, taking on board views expressed through the consultation and the outcomes on ongoing planning and engineering work. In the summer, TfL will publish its ‘Response to Issues Raised’, which will demonstrate how TfL has looked into issues raised by stakeholders through the consultation and set out how these have influenced plans for the scheme.
London and the wider South East are growing rapidly and due to this growth a new infrastructure is needed. In London alone there are now a record 8.6 million people and this number is estimated to increase to 10 million by 2030. The increase in people will mean five million more journeys each day on the transport network. Transport improvements already underway across the network, including the Elizabeth line, will help offset the pressure in the short term. Nevertheless, we need a plan to cope with longer term growth. Crossrail 2 will give the transport network the extra capacity we need to keep the wider South East working and growing.
In relation to the prayer of the petition, I can say that TfL has not advanced any proposal for a retail development in the King’s Road, and the station will of course be underground.
As you know, Crossrail 2 cannot be built before we have formal consent from the Government, the funds to pay for it and the necessary land has been acquired. As set out above, the process of applying for consents will involve further consultation and consideration of objections before any decision can be made.”