On Friday, 11 December, Member of Parliament for Chelsea & Fulham, Greg Hands, had a meeting with Mike Brown MVO, Commissioner of Transport for London (TfL).
This meeting followed Mr Brown’s replacement of Sir Peter Hendy CBE as Commissioner for TfL in September, before which he had been Managing Director of London Underground. As Commissioner for TfL, Mr Brown is responsible for a multi-million pound investment programme and the delivery of transport services across London, where there are some 13 million passenger journeys every day. Mr Brown is keen to tackle the funding and efficiency challenges of running TfL with a fresh approach.
Greg Hands met Mr Brown in his capacity as local Member of Parliament for Chelsea & Fulham, but as Chief Secretary to the Treasury – with responsibilities ranging from the recent Spending Review to strategic planning, capital investment, and infrastructure – he was also interested to hear what Mr Brown had to say.
One topic of interest discussed was Crossrail 2 and the likelihood of it coming to Greg’s constituency of Chelsea & Fulham. Mr Brown assured Greg that he is working closely with Lord Adonis, the new chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission, to make sure that they are answering the right questions, and that Crossrail 2 could form part of a wider solution to transport issues, providing 200,000 new homes and jobs, and adding £120bn to the UK economy over thirty years.
As a local constituency issue – on which he continues to receive daily written correspondence, emails, and telephone calls – Greg was keen to make sure that TfL has looked at more than just a Crossrail 2 station on the King’s Road. Mr Brown acknowledged that the Imperial Wharf option would provide more homes and jobs, and that it is being seriously considered, especially in terms of its being a more palatable alternative interchange with London Overground rather than at Clapham Junction.
In addition to Crossrail 2 and ongoing improvements to the District Line, Greg raised the Government’s commitment to improving transport links at Gatwick Airport; the frustration at the replacement of Sloane Square’s distinctive tiles; the 424 bus route consultation, and lift access at stations.
Speaking after the meeting, Greg Hands said: “It was good to meet Mike Brown in his new role as Commissioner of Transport for London, and I look forward to continuing working with him in this new position.
“I was glad that we got to discuss Crossrail 2 coming to Chelsea & Fulham, and that I had the chance to reiterate my constituents’ concerns before I make my own submission to the Crossrail 2 consultation, which ends on 8 January.
“I noted that Mike Brown was very clear that Imperial Wharf is a serious option for the new station site, and I thank him for taking the time to meet me.”
To request a copy of the Mayor of London’s feasibility study into alternative stations either at Imperial Wharf or Fulham Broadway, and to convey your views, please contact Greg’s office at [email protected] or 020 7219 8828.
TfL’s Crossrail 2 consultation can be found here, and the last date to get your views heard is 8 January 2016.