The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is urging residents and businesses to have their say over plans for the future redevelopment of Euston station and the wider surrounding area.
In response to the current proposal from Government for a new High Speed rail link from London to the Midlands – known as HS2 – the ‘Euston Area Plan’ is being prepared to help shape development in this part of the capital over the next 15 to 20 years.
The plan is being prepared jointly by the Greater London Authority, Camden Council and Transport for London, with the key aims of minimising the impact of the proposed HS2 project, which Camden Council are opposing, and to realise the huge economic potential of Euston and the surrounding area.
Euston has been identified by the Mayor as a key opportunity area with the potential for 5,000 jobs and 1,000 homes. His recently published ‘2020 Vision’ also flags up the huge potential of Euston-King's Cross-St. Pancras to develop into the UK's largest rail hub, which could hugely contribute to London’s future economic growth.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: ‘The redevelopment of Euston offers a fantastic opportunity that could see huge regeneration and economic benefits for this part of the capital and beyond. Getting the right plans in place now will help us to ensure that we get the best outcomes for local people, business and visitors to the area. With the potential to create thousands of jobs, new homes and an important new transport hub, it’s vitally important that everyone has their say.”
The Mayor has always been clear about his support for high-speed rail, however he has always maintained that there are certain changes that are needed to make HS2 work for London. He therefore remains in discussion with the Government over the best long-term comprehensive solution for the Euston area. Following consultation the new plan will seek to properly balance the priorities of the local area with the economic growth potential associated with redevelopment of the station.
Notes to editors
Commenting on the plan: There will be opportunities to comment on the emerging plan throughout its production, details of which and more information on the project can be found at: www.eustonareaplan.info. The consultation runs until 7 October.
Context: Euston is a major national and commuter rail terminal possessing good bus and underground links to central London. There have been expectations of development in and around Euston Station for a number of years. The area is identified as an Opportunity Area in the London Plan and as a Growth Area in Camden’s Local Development Framework.
The London Plan highlights that the station airspace and adjacent areas are underused and have potential for intensification. There is also potential to improve the way Euston Square Gardens are used and to better link with surrounding higher education facilities, such as University College London.
Plan preparation and consultation: Consultation on the draft version of the Euston Area Plan will run until 7th October. The results of this consultation will inform a revised version of the Euston Area Plan (known as the Pre Submission Version) which is proposed to be consulted on this Winter.
Following this it is anticipated that the plan will be submitted for independent examination by a planning inspector next summer (2014). The emerging plans and policies will be shared with HS2 to influence their emerging plans.