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Flaws in the King’s Cross plan
• TRICKERY and bamboozling characterise community engagement in one of Europe’s largest regeneration areas.
Over 17,000 residents, hundreds of businesses and 4,000 commuters a day are to be shut out of their local entrance to the King’s Cross/St Pancras transport hub. But in response to a parliamentary question the government has ignored a request for an assessment of the huge impact this will have on the local business and residential community.
Norman Baker (shadow transport secretary, Lib Dem) asked for “an assessment of the effects on (a) the local community and (b) regeneration in the King’s Cross area of Network Rail’s plans to close permanently pedestrian access routes to King’s Cross and St Pancras rail stations from the north east of the station complex”.
Transport minister Rosie Winterton replied that: “Network Rail applied for and received planning consent from the local planning authority (Camden) for the redevelopment of King’s Cross station. Consultation was undertaken as part of this process, which resulted in Network Rail commissioning a study to consider ways to maintain access to the station from York Way.
“Network Rail has advised me that the study concluded that from an operational safety perspective the access to York Way in this location could not be maintained.”
Network Rail are to close all entrances to King’s Cross station and replace them with one new entrance on the far western side. A wall the length of the station will divide King’s Cross and Somers Town, closing out the community on the Islington side.
Planning consent was given to Network Rail on the basis that they carry out a feasibility study into providing access by bridge at the rear of the station. The study failed to look at the only known workable option wasting time and public money on conclusions that are irrelevant.
Now the government is backing that flawed piece of work, instead of listening to the local community, leaving us angry and dismayed.
Our community faces multiple deprivation and high levels of youth crime. Our young people feel disaffected and ignored by the changes happening in the area. Regenerating King’s Cross was supposed to help change this.
A bridge would cost less than 2 per cent of Network Rail’s redevelopment budget for King’s Cross. As Michael Edwards of King’s Cross Railway Lands Group said: “Network Rail are to close off the obvious emergency escape from the station and we simply have to stop them.”
A petition calling for access to the stations is at petitions.number10. gov.uk/kxaccess/
See, also www. kingscrossaccess.com
SOPHIE TALBOT
King’s Cross Community Projects, N1
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