A new entrance for Hackney Central station is set to be built after planning permission was granted by the council yesterday.
As previously reported, the entrance will sit on the south side of the station and will be in addition to the existing, fairly small, northern side entrance. At the moment, the station entrance suffers from severe overcrowding during peak periods. There are limited cycle parking facilities available and these are over utilised.
The new entrance will give direct access to Platform 1, and via the existing footbridge to Platform 2. Although the footbridge linking the two platforms has lifts, the new entrance, below the platform level will only come with stairs, and won’t have a lift. This prioritised providing the larger entrance over accessibility, but accessibility pushes the cost up. While not optimal, both platforms are still accessible as the station will remain to have entrances on both sides. The Department of Transport (DfT) provided an exemption to avoid adding the lift in this phase of the development.
Proposed entrance – image from the Planning Application
The new entrance will come with 5 standard ticket barriers and one double-width barrier, and two ticket machines.
A secure cycle hub for 48 bikes will sit next to an open cycle rack for casual users, and a coffee retailer – an essential item these days. Outside the station entrance, a new pedestrian crossing will be added a few yards to the west.
The £3.2 million costs to deliver the station improvement scheme is being met by Network Rail via their Accelerated Enhancement Fund, although the works will be carried out by TfL.
The council says that construction work on the new entrance will begin in the New Year with an anticipated opening in late 2021.
Side elevation – image from the Planning Application
The new entrance is technically a temporary structure, as there are longer-term plans to redevelop the north side of the station, and a much larger ticket office and entrance would be created. At that point, this second entrance may be retained, upgraded, or could be redeveloped for housing by the council.
About time that a new entrance for Hackney Central has been approved. Good. Guess that’s going to happen I guess. Thanks Transport for London, London Borough of Hackney, Mayor of London and Network Rail. Might hear that on BBC London News and ITV London News.
What will be done to help the heighbours – especially the house next door – from all the additional noise and disruption when passengers start using this new entrance?
You’ll need to read the planning applications and the council minutes for that level of detail.
Pity they haven’t included a lift to the westbound platform from new entrance. Passengers could then use existing lifts to reach eastbound platform.
The drawing in the article would seem to indicate three ticket machines, not two.
The rest of the planning documentation says 2 with space for 3.
Seems like a good plan to get this done quickly as a temporary measure so that they can redevelop the north side. the downside is that while that redevelopment is going on the station will lose its step free access.
Good this is making access to the station less of a treck for those arriving from Graham road and safer because the platform on the other side is very full of those coming and going and the platform is narrow, but no lift, this is really an oversight for those in a wheelchair, the Graham Road entrance again is easier access since there isn’t a hill to wheel up whilst people rush down in the opposite direction.