Local MP, Greg Hands, has been listening to residents’ views on potential new sites for a rail station in Chelsea, as part of the planned Crossrail 2 underground railway line.
Greg Hands, Chelsea and Fulham MP, joined neighbours and shopkeepers at a packed-out Cremorne Residents Association AGM, on 7th July. Residents were there to discuss the proposals that Transport for London (TfL) is considering for possible sites for a new station. TfL is currently consulting on two station options, first the site of the Chelsea Fire Station and Dovehouse Green and secondly an ill-defined ‘Chelsea West’ option. There is also a third option, which is no station in Chelsea at all. It is still early in the consultation process, and no detailed plans for “Chelsea West” have been drawn up, but it seems likely that any “Chelsea West” plans would lead to a station between King’s Road and Cheyne Walk in the area or vicinity of the Cremorne Estate.
If the line did go ahead, construction would begin in 2020 at the earliest, and open in 2030, at the earliest. It does not yet have Government support, although the Government has allocation some initial funding into feasibility studies.
At the meeting, Greg listened to residents and explained his role as the MP in representing his constituents to both the local council and TfL. He also accepted a petition from the Chairwoman of the Cremorne Residents Association, with over 600 signatures against any Crossrail 2 station at Cremorne. Greg pledged to fight for local residents in ensuring that questions were answered by TfL and the Council.
Speaking after the meeting, Greg said: “I wanted to record my thanks to the Cremorne Estate Residents Association for inviting me to address the meeting and to hear the views of tenants and residents on the estate and in the local area.
“I was struck by the strength of feeling at the meeting against a Crossrail 2 station coming to Cremorne. I have not seen plans or drawings or even precise locations for any of the suggested station sites, so I pledged to get to the bottom of these proposals, and to sort out what is fact from what is rumour or speculation. Tenants and residents rightly want to know the truth, and my key commitment at the meeting was to get this.”
Since the Cremorne AGM, Greg has met the Leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Cllr Nick Paget-Brown, to discuss the proposals. Greg relayed the strength of the feeling at the open meeting, and said that tenants and residents were alarmed at the prospect of any possible demolition of parts of the estate.
Cllr Paget-Brown confirmed that in 2013 TfL ran a consultation in which 20,000 leaflets were sent out to residents, including the Cremorne estate, and 2,000 responses were received. There was also a meeting in Chelsea Old Town Hall last autumn. Cllr Paget-Brown also confirmed it was not the suggestion of the Council that TfL build a station specifically on the site of the Cremorne Estate.
It is believed TfL has not published any plans for any of the proposed station sites, although the Dovehouse Green/ Chelsea Fire Station site has been safeguarded for many years now, and Greg is in ongoing communication with TfL about the latest status of the plans.
Transport for London is currently undertaking a new public consultation, in addition to the one completed in 2013, which is open until Friday 25th July. It is seeking views on three options for the location of the station: a station at Dovehouse Green/ Chelsea Fire Station, a station further west at what is described as being ‘Chelsea West’ (believed to be in the area of the Cremorne estate), and another option that would bypass the borough altogether, i.e. to have no Chelsea station at all. Full details of the consultation can be found at: https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/crossrail/june-2014/
The Council is listening to local opinions and is considering which of the three options to support, before making its own submission to the consultation. Moreover the consultation is ongoing and will close on 25th July.
Greg added: “I urge all residents who have views on this proposal to make a submission to the TfL consultation. I also encourage residents to copy me in on any submissions they make, or to contact me if they have further questions.”
You can contact Greg in the following ways:
Email: [email protected]
Post: Greg Hands M.P., House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA
Telephone: 020 7219 5448