Crossrail 2 Safeguarding Direction
Introduction
Crossrail 2 is a proposed new underground railway line to be built between Wimbledon and New
Southgate / Tottenham Hale via Central London (Victoria and Euston), with the potential to
connect to the national rail network.
Safeguarding is a planning process that enables the Government to issue Directions to local
planning authorities to protect land needed for long term infrastructure projects from
developments that would prevent them being built or make them more expensive. This is
increasingly needed as cities are redeveloped with bigger buildings that have deeper
foundations. Safeguarding does not necessarily prevent developments taking place: it ensures
that when they take place the design can accommodate the addition of railway infrastructure.
Parts of the proposed Crossrail 2 route have been subject to safeguarding since 1991. The
Mayor for London has reviewed the existing safeguarding Directions following changes in
forecasted transport demand, and has concluded that some changes need to be made to the
existing Directions. TfL has carried out a number of planning and design studies which have led
to a proposed new Direction to safeguard the route alignment. The Crossrail 2 Direction would
replace the existing Chelsea - Hackney line safeguarding Directions. The Secretary of State for
Transport is committed to review this safeguarding Direction by 2021.
About you
This section is optional, but completing it helps with our analysis of results. A note at the end of
this form explains that we may be obliged to release this information if asked to do so.
1.
Email
[email protected]
2. Company Name or Organisation (if applicable)
London Borough of Camden
3. Please tick from the list below that best describes you/ your company or organisation
Small to Medium Enterprise (up to 50 employees)
Large Company
Representative Organisation
Trade Union
Interest Group
Local Government
Central Government
Emergency Services
Member of the Public
Other (please specify):
4.
If you are responding on behalf of an organisation or interest group, how many members
do you have and how did you obtain the views of your members:
5.
If you would like your response or personal details to be treated confidentially please
explain why:
6.
If you are responding with regards to a building in the safeguarded area, please give the
postcode of that building:
Please tick one box below to indicate where the building your response relates to is
7. situated, in relation to the safeguarded area. You can use the map to check if you are not
sure.
In an area of surface interest (AOSI)
In the safeguarded area, but not in an AOSI
Within 200m of an AOSI, not safeguarded
None of the above
Don't know
8.
Do you agree with the proposal to update the safeguarding of the Chelsea-Hackney Line
route? If not, please explain why.
Yes
No
Comments
9.
Do you agree with the content of the proposed safeguarding directions? If not, please
explain why.
Yes
No
Comments
10.
Do you agree with the content of the guidance for Local Planning Authorities on the
directions? If not, please explain why.
Yes
No
Comments
11.
Do you agree with the geographical coverage of the land to be safeguarded? If not,
please explain why.
Yes
No
Comments
The Council opposes any loss of homes and businesses and will need to be convinced that
all possible options that eliminate the need for this have been explored.
The proposed safeguarding directive relates to a significant deviation to the alignment north
of Euston Road to create a Euston-St Pancras Crossrail 2 station. This new alignment entails
a change in the areas of surface interest – land that may be needed in future to build the
proposed Crossrail 2 underground railway. In Camden the areas of surface interest serve the
proposed new Crossrail 2 station at Euston-St Pancras and are in the following five general
locations:
1. A section of Euston Station on its eastern side and 1 Eversholt Street, an office
building that is part of the Euston Estate;
2. Land facing this to the east side of Eversholt Street comprising a mixture of
residential and commercial buildings;
3. Land in the north eastern part of the British Library estate;
4. Land on Midland Road and the west side of St Pancras; and
5. Belgrove House to the south of Kings Cross station.
Camden Council supports the principle of Crossrail 2 in view of its potential overall benefits
to Camden and, to this end, supports the making of a safeguarding direction and its operation.
Furthermore, should the proposals for HS2 proceed despite this Council’s opposition, the
HS2 proposals consulted upon through the Hybrid Bill would require a significant increase in
capacity for onward travel at Euston station by rail and Underground and Crossrail 2 could
have an important role to play in meeting that need.
However, the Council has also said that it will object if the proposals develop in ways that it
consider to be unacceptable. Our assessment of the area of surface interest on the east side of
Eversholt Street indicates that it comprises 60 residential units and 15 business premises. At
this early stage in the development of the proposals we find the proposed area of surface
interest on the east side of Eversholt Street unacceptable because of the potential loss of
homes, businesses and heritage assets. It should also be noted that numbers 34 to 70
Eversholt Street are identified on Camden’s Local List and number 64 is grade II listed.
We also have concerns about the impact of construction on homes located immediately
adjacent to a potential work site and would question the suitability for continued habitation of
the estimated 63 homes in St Mary’s Flats, depending on the nature and duration of work.
Similarly the impact of construction on the consolidated Maria Fidelis school must be taken
into account. This project is scheduled for completion by 2018 on the site of 1-39 Drummond
Crescent to make way for the construction of HS2 on the school’s existing site at North
Gower Street, should HS2 go ahead.
We appreciate that our initial concerns have been taken seriously by TfL and Network Rail
and are aware that more detailed design work for the route and stations will be undertaken
before the final requirements of the scheme are established. The Council expects that as the
project is developed further by TfL the extent of the land required for construction will be
reviewed and the areas of surface interest will be revised accordingly.
Should HS2 go ahead it will cause disruption for residents and business to the east and west
of Euston station for a long period. The extent of this disruption is under review and the
outcome of this process is unknown but TfL and HS2 should work to minimise the combined
construction impact of Crossrail 2 and HS2 for our residents, businesses and other institutions
in this area. Camden Council considers that HS2 and Crossrail 2 should be required to take a
co-ordinated approach to design and delivery of the two projects and is actively discussing
this with the parties involved.
Consideration must also be given to the potential impacts of Crossrail 2 on the Somers Town
Community Investment Programme. Although no direct impact on the Central Somers Town
project is implied by the proposed areas of surface interest, the adverse effects of traffic and
transport impacts of the project during construction including advance enabling utility works
should be reduced as much as possible and mitigations considered.
Equally, in relation to the area of surface interest in the north-western corner of the British
Library’s estate, we are concerned that the proposals should seek to mitigate any potential
adverse impacts on the long-standing plans for the development and extension of the Library
and should not discourage further investment in the government’s planned new Knowledge
Quarter to be based in Kings Cross, Euston and Bloomsbury. This is of particular relevance
in the light of the recent announcement that the £42 million government investment in the
Alan Turing Institute for Data Science will be located at the British Library.
The area of surface interest to the east of the British Library raises additional concerns about
the adverse impacts on our residents of traffic and transport implications of the project during
construction of Crossrail 2. Any closure of Midland Road presents a significant issue in
terms of traffic management and we would seek to avoid the simultaneous closure of
Eversholt Street and Midland Road.
The Council welcomes the scaling back of the area of surface interest around Belgrove House
on the south side of Euston Road and the assurances that its potential use as a works site need
not hinder its redevelopment in support of the Council’s strategic regeneration objectives for
the Kings Cross area.
The area of surface interest relating to the new Crossrail 2 station at Tottenham Court Road is
not within Camden but the Council maintains an interest in the development of these
proposals because of connectivity with the wider area and the potential impacts on the
capacity of the local street network. In this and all aspects of the proposed new stations at
Tottenham Court Road and Euston-St Pancras we request ongoing engagement with the
Crossrail 2 team to discuss other important aspects of the proposals for the borough
including:
 Interchange with other transport modes and the provision of facilities for walking and
cycling;
 Maximising local economic benefits around the stations; and
 Ensuring appropriate investment in provision and maintenance of the public realm.
12.
Do you have any specific comments on the safeguarding process or on the guidance
provided?
Comments
1. The directions should make clear that electronic copies of documents are acceptable.
2. Clarity should be provided regarding the timeframes for consulting TfL so that LPAs
can set out clear timescales for the determination of affected applications.