Topic: | Re:Turnham Green station - when's it likely to get lifts | |
Posted by: | George Foster | |
Date/Time: | 21/01/16 13:01:00 |
TfL's policy is that any improvements to stations must be made in accordance with specific criteria and TfL's contribution must be "affordable" and matched by third-party funding. Under the new criteria lifts for Turnham Green will not considered until 2023. It is all in a TfL committee paper from Feb 2015 announcing "A £76m TfL investment over 10 years package to be based on ‘match funding’ third party funding contributions and collaboration" http://content.tfl.gov.uk/rup-20150212-part-1-item06-step-free-programme-update.pdf You would expect that making public transport accessible to everyone is a basic human rights issue: disabled and elderly people have a right to full and equal participation in the economic, cultural and social life of London - which means access to TfL's Underground, Overground and Crossrail systems. TfL are effectively offloading this responsibility onto local Councils and the private development sectors, where TfL funding can be matched by Councils from the Community Infrastructure Levy (often known as "planning gain" or "Section 106" money) which is payable by developers as a share for the local council of the increase in the value of land after being given planning permission for redevelopment. This money is supposed to be for improving the area's infrastructure. Hounslow is said to be sitting on large sums from recent developments (figures of £20 million or more have been mentioned), and there is more to come as the areas between Chiswick Business Park and Brentford, the B & Q site and Power Road are redeveloped. It would be an excellent investment for the Council to use some of this money for lifts at Turnham Green and Gunnersbury. These would bring economic benefits to the area, increased job opportunities and independence for the disabled and increase the social inclusion of a group who are effectively discriminated against enfranchised by the current situation. |