Nearly a decade after a similar plan was quashed, TfL is making an attempt to give Southwark tube station a second entrance.
The plans are for a new entrance on a residential street about half way towards Waterloo station, with the intention of reducing crowding at the current entrance, which faces directly onto a busy pedestrian crossing.
TfL says that the Greet Street location was chosen as it provides a clear route to The Cut and to Roupell Street, for access to the Waterloo area and the northern end of Blackfriars Road.
TfL already owns the land for the entrance and says that its proposed design, requires minimal change to the existing station and provides value for money.
Although the main reason for the second entrance is said to be to deal with increasing numbers of people using the station, it also opens up the opportunity to redevelop the existing entrance as well. A plan to build blocks of flats and offices over Southwark tube station could have seen the existing Holden-inspired entrance demolished, although TfL backed away following protests from architects.
They will still, however, face problems if the existing entrance has to be kept open during the construction phase, so the second entrance will make it easier to secure permission for the housing development.
However, the plans may struggle, as back in 2009, a similar scheme by Network Rail to create a new entrance to Waterloo East on the same site was blocked by Lambeth Council.
At the time, the plans were opposed by local residents as the street is largely residential in nature and there were concerns about noise and crowds.
It may be just an overzealous graphics designer, but the totem outside the new entrance in a computer graphic does suggest a link with Network Rail as well — either through the tube station (as is sort of possible already), or including some aspects of the dropped Network Rail proposal.
That does look unlikely though, as Network Rail is itself mulling a long term plan to build a Blackfriars style station for Charing Cross, which would then see Waterloo East station demolished.
A consultation has now opened into the proposals, and you have until 9th October to respond.
If approved, then construction would start in early 2021.
Good to have you back! Glad you managed to get everything sorted.
It seems plans for this entrance will not include step free access via this entrance .
Passengers arriving at Southwark Station on Jubilee Line are told to change here for Waterloo East which might explain sign having Network Rail symbol but how one would reach Waterloo East Station via this entrance is not explained.
The reality is it’s difficult to access Waterloo East which is by stairs only in the side street entrance off Waterloo Road or one has to enter Waterloo Station and then go upstairs to access Waterloo East .
One point for passengers is to be careful if your going to Gillingham as pronunciation is important as to whether your going to Kent from Waterloo East or the far south west from Waterloo Mainline!
Its nice to see this on the cards again. As a fresh faced graduate in 2006 I organised an origin/destination survey for Network Rail to calculate where people went onwards after arriving at Waterloo East.
This was to try determine how many people would use the proposed new entrance way before you could buy mobile data or do clever things with blue tooth sensors.
Was a mad day – still not sure how I pulled it off!
I think it should get the go ahead. Southwark does tend to get busy during peak times.
They could limit the impact on residents by closing it late evenings, and if need be, weekends.