The OPDC tweets "Draft Local Plan Consultation Closes Tomorrow (31 March)"

Except it doesn't. 

Emailing comments to localplan@opdc.london.gov.uk for first thing on Monday 4 April is fine.

[Reposted] Estates Gazette: Scrubs Lane: "Towering Over A Cemetery"

"A scoping opinion has been submitted for a 25-storey residential tower on Scrubs Lane just north of the Grand Union Canal. It's in a location where lots of towers will be built as part of the Old Oak Common opportunity area, however what makes this scheme unusual is it overlooks one of London’s largest cemeteries. [Not that unusual. See North Acton.]

"As the application is at scoping stage there’s no renders of the proposal as of yet, but we do know it will contain 183 residential units as well as a small amount of ground floor commercial space. The current site is made up of various light industrial units, which is the use type that currently characterizes the whole area – although not for long.

"Here's Google Satellite View of the site and the cemetery behind. The tower will be roughly where Cornices Centre currently is labelled.

London Assembly questions and New London Architecture: Rafting over the Old Oak Common's Crossrail depot (part of the OPDC's 'Old Oak Common Station and Crossrail Depots Technical Options Analysis'. Yes, really.)

Recent (and not so recent) Questions to the Mayor from London Assembly members...

Old Oak Common and Crossrail

Caroline Pidgeon (16-Mar-2016)

Sir Terry Farrell has said that the way Crossrail is being constructed at Old Oak Common is jeopardising the regeneration of this area.  How do you react to his claim?

The Mayor (16-Mar-2016)

I wholeheartedly reject Sir Terry Farrell's claims regarding Crossrail construction jeopardising the regeneration of Old Oak Common and completely disagree with the disparaging remarks he has made about Old Oak Common more generally. The Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) are working hard to transform this area to create a brand new suburb with 25,500 new homes and 65,000 new jobs. The OPDC are working with TfL to review and finalise future options for the Crossrail depot site in a way that does not delay or disrupt Crossrail, which is critical to meeting London's transport challenge.

Crossrail (3)

Navin Shah (22-Oct-2014)

Will you make long-term efforts to find an alternative site for the Old Oak Common Crossrail depot, or at least reduce its capacity, which would allow a concrete raft to be built over it, in order to encourage the further regeneration of the Old Oak Common area?

The Mayor (22-Oct-2014)

Yes, I agree that the long-term aim should be to move the depot as soon as possible to support regeneration at Old Oak Common.

High Speed 2 lobbying

Darren Johnson (23-May-2012)

Which specific changes do you still want to see to the Government's HS2 proposals, and what are your plans to push for them?

The Mayor (23-May-2012)

There are number of changes I would like to see made to the Government's HS2 proposals, which were set out in my response to the HS2 consultation.

First, I would like to see provision for Crossrail 2 being made at Euston station. More than twice as many passengers are forecast to arrive at Euston station during the peak periods (compared to today) and this will require additional underground capacity. Without it, queues at Euston station will mean that station having to close on a regular basis.

Second, the proposed station at Old Oak Common must be compatible with the plans for the Crossrail depot at the site. The proposed layout at the site would pose significant challenges for Crossrail. In addition, further connections are required at Old Oak Common, to ensure this new interchange for west London is connected to the rest of London's transport network.

Third, the plans for a link to High Speed 1 must be altered to ensure that the link does not impact adversely on the North London Line through Camden. I am pleased that the Government has now agreed to revisit other options for this link.

Fourth, further environmental mitigation measures are required to reduce the impact of the scheme on London residents and businesses. I successfully fought to secure a new section of tunnel in the Ruislip area, but further mitigation is required. More people in London are affected by the scheme than anywhere else along the route, and the level of environmental mitigation needs to reflect this.

I plan to raise these issues with the Secretary of State again to ensure that the remit that she sets HS2 Ltd reflects Londoners' needs.

Old Oak Common

Navin Shah (9-Nov-2011)

Please detail the transport enhancements for Old Oak Common that you have asked the Department for Transport to include in the core HS2 scheme to ensure it is accessible to the wider area.

Boris Johnson (Chair, TfL) and Sir Peter Hendy (Commissioner, TfL) (9-Nov-2011)

Old Oak Common is currently a largely 'land locked' site with very limited access by road. Whilst lots of railway lines pass through the site, none of the services running on these lines currently stop at Old Oak Common. Locating a major new rail interchange at this point would require connections to the wider transport network to allow people to access the network and to help realise the wider economic benefits of HS2 for the local area and across outer London.

There are a number of options for achieving this, including those which are outlined in the Mayor's response to the DfT's HS2 public consultation. Options include connecting the station at Old Oak Common to the nearby London Overground network to allow better orbital connectivity from south, west and north London and connecting a branch of the Bakerloo line from Queen's Park to serve the new interchange.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council also have ambitious plans to regenerate the area, making the most of the opportunity provided by HS2. Whilst we are supportive in principle of the regeneration potential of the site, any new construction must be mindful of the operation and implementation of the committed Crossrail depot.

TfL is continuing to work with HS2 Ltd on these issues.

Old Oak Common Crossrail interchange

Murad Qureshi (17-Jun-2009)

I have been made aware of plans to develop land at Old Oak Common which provide for a major mixed use development including industrial, research, distribution, office based and bio-tech industries related to the Hammersmith Hospital research centre. I understand regeneration of this area, which forms part of the Park Royal industrial estate, has the long term potential to bring 5,000 new jobs and 3,000 extra homes. Do you support the redevelopment of land at Old Oak Common railway sidings as a future Crossrail station and West London hub to provide a national High Speed Rail Link to Heathrow airport?

The Mayor (17-Jun-2009)

We are willing to discuss proposals but we need to be clear that there is an agreed Crossrail scheme, with an agreed budget and construction has recently begun. The focus is ensuring that Crossrail is delivered on time and to budget and bring the huge benefits that the scheme will provide. Any proposals that could increase costs or delay the programme would therefore clearly need very careful examination before being considered.

Much of Old Oak Common is required for the Crossrail depot, and the land is safeguarded as such in planning guidance. There are significant constraints in constructing a station on the site. There is for example no appropriate location for 250 metre long station platforms either close to the Crossrail lines or within the depot without significant relocation of existing infrastructure which is of prohibitive cost.

Recently the DfT sponsored HS2 company began looking at the viability of the site as one of several options for a potential connection between a proposed new high speed line and Crossrail. Crossrail Ltd and HS2 are continuing to keep each other informed of respective plans and any opportunities which may arise.

The GLA and LDA are also continuing to work with the local boroughs to look at major development opportunities within the area including through the Opportunity Area Planning Framework for Park Royal, the initial draft of which was consulted on in 2008. This encourages the continued development of Park Royal as a major strategic industrial location, as well as identifying other locations for additional housing next to existing Tube and rail stations. However given the concentration of heavy industrial uses at Old Oak and in particular major waste handling facilities it is not identified as a suitable location for housing in the current Framework.

---

New London Architecture, 22 March 2016

Old Oak Common – creating ‘the Canary Wharf of the West’

The development of Old Oak Common represents a major opportunity to create the ‘Canary Wharf of the West’, with transport links such as Crossrail and HS2 at its heart.

But with a goal of around 25,000 new homes, 60,000 jobs and a newly revealed billion pound plan to deck over the area’s Crossrail depot, it must also protect its existing industry and guard against becoming just ‘a community of off-plan sales flats’.

The views came from a special pre-election update on the progress made at Old Oak Common held at NLA this morning. Sir Edward Lister, chief of staff and deputy mayor, policy and planning, said the development of the area was one of the things he was most proud of, and it was an ‘idea whose time has finally come’. If the plans in the east of the city were equivalent to fitting in a city the size of Glasgow, in west London it was the size of Cardiff, but whilst retaining the best elements of the ‘breadbasket of London’ – Park Royal. ‘We don’t want to lose a job, anywhere’, he said. All of a sudden, Lister added, the area will be home to a transport hub with a projected 270,000 people a day changing – the equivalent of numbers at Waterloo, so HS2 and Crossrail will be central to its success. To kick-start what is the biggest regeneration project in the UK, a mayoral development corporation has been created, with the initial vision from Boris Johnson ‘going into bat for this as he had to do with the Olympic Park’. ‘I’m a fan of MDCs’ said Lister. ‘They are the future.’

Lister also revealed that after extensive consultations about the Crossrail depot and visits overseas [Airmiles Eddie] it had been decided that the construction of ‘an enormous deck’ over it should be undertaken to enable over-site development.

OPDC director of planning Mick Mulhern said after the ‘huge amount of focus on the east in the last 10-15 years’ it was ‘very much shifting back’ to west London. The area has huge amounts of land ‘ripe for development’, with opportunities around what will be the largest station to be built this century where 200 trains an hour will pass through every hour, and Birmingham will be only 38 minutes away via HS2. Mulhern said the OPDC will soon commission a comprehensive masterplan team to look at the public sector land in the zone, development of which could deliver some £7billion a year for the UK economy.

A cautionary note was paid by Ealing’s Pat Hayes, however, who said his chief concern was that Old Oak Common ‘did not end up as Canary Wharf morphed with a bit of Nine Elms and Paddington’. Rather than just scale, it was important to create good links to communities in Harlesden and Willesden and avoid the problem of high land value resulting in very dense development and thence unaffordable prices.

Introduced as the ‘midwife’ to the regeneration of King’s Cross, Allies & Morrison director Peter Bishop said Old Oak had ‘fantastic potential’, with crucial moves including the reinforcement of its strong north-south axis, concentrating on streets, connecting the hinterland and perhaps building new canal basins to allow a mixture of densities and building heights around it. ‘The real challenge here is to create the scale of Canary Wharf with the inclusivity and quality of space of King’s Cross’, said Bishop. If that could be done it could set ‘completely new standards of what urbanism can do in this country’.

"The event also heard from speakers including London and Regional UK development director Geoff Springer on its plans for 9m sq ft of development including offices and workshops and a museum, and HS2 non-executive director Duncan Sutherland, who said models for Old Oak’s station environs included St Pancras and Lille rather than Gare du Creusot, whose TGV-based regeneration had never really arrived. Finally, Farrells partner Neil Bennett said the key challenges for Old Oak Common included the need for an economic vision, connectivity and achieving a sense of place in an area that is the planned location of a seventh of London’s new jobs and homes."

Old Oak Common High Speed Two/Great Western Main Line/West Coast Main Line/Crossrail One/North London Line/West London Line/Croydon-Wembley Corridor/Dudding Hill Line/Sodor Main Line rethink: "Spaghetti Junction: Change Here for Everywhere!"

Click to enlarge all images.
Those below are sections of the one above.

Mock-up of new platforms

Evening Standard: "London's new live-work flats: 'co-living' is the capital's new property trend as shared spaces slash costs." For instance: 'The Collective', NW10

"With high living expenses and commuting hassles, young Londoners are opting for shared live-work spaces to meet like-minded people, boost productivity - and slash costs."

"A new property trend is taking hold in London — 'co-living'. While it sounds like a revival of the counterculture of anarchist collectives and hippy communes of the Sixties and Seventies, co-living is something quite different.

"It is an imaginative, modern response to high housing costs and commuting hassles, while also chiming with the green agenda and concerns about work-life balance.

"Co-living projects allow mostly young Londoners to live and work under one roof and be part of a like-minded group happy to share space, facilities and services."

"The Collective: A 323-unit development in north-west London, The Collective has been built at Old Oak amid the Park Royal industrial zone, an area earmarked for transformation into a new district with transport super-hub.

"Rents start at £225 a week and include WiFi, utility bills, council tax, concierge, 24/7 security, room cleans and linen changes. Residents will be able to make use of an on-site gym, spa, rooftop terrace, cinema and games room."

The Observer: "Welcome to the robot-based workforce: will your job become automated too?"

"From waitstaff to care companions and legal researchers, the future of the machine worker is here. But where does that leave humans?"

Say "Take me to the web site."
(Good luck with that.)

"... 'I can see mass unemployment on the horizon as the robotics revolution takes hold,' said Noel Sharkey, a professor emeritus of robotics and artificial intelligence at the University of Sheffield in the UK. Sharkey recently started the Foundation for Responsible Robotics to help us avoid the 'potential societal and ethical hazards' from the widespread application of autonomous robots.

"There's nothing particularly new about the alarm Sharkey is sounding. In 2013, Oxford scholars Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael A Osborne warned that approximately 47% of total US employment was at risk of computerization, in an analysis that ranked 702 occupations by their likelihood of being eliminated.

"Telemarketers, accountants, sports referees, legal secretaries, and cashiers were found to be among the most likely to lose their jobs, while doctors, preschool teachers, lawyers, artists, and clergy remained relatively safe.

"In The Future of the Professions, published in 2015, authors Richard Susskind and his son, Daniel Susskind, argued that even those traditional professions will decline and be replaced by 'increasingly capable systems'."

[Reposted] The Motorway Archive: M4. Chiswick to Slough By-pass

Link to the 'Motorway Archive'
(picture from 'Chiswick to Langley Special Road' section)

"The Chiswick Flyover [a photo is on the web site] was the first major two-level highway scheme to be carried out in the Metropolitan Area since World War II. The works extended for about half a mile and included a through road to link London's 'new' western approach, the Cromwell Road Extension, to the Great West Road without interference from cross-traffic.

"This through road was carried over a new 400ft diameter roundabout with a 40ft wide carriageway at the junction of the North Circular Road, Chiswick High Road, the road to Kew Bridge and the Great West Road. Traffic was distributed to these roads by means of four slip roads joining the roundabout at ground level. The junction was used by at least 40,000 vehicles a day and was seriously congested at times. The scheme removed a potential bottleneck at the western end of the Cromwell Road Extension."

---

What is the Motorway Archive?

"Work on developing the UK Motorway system, which transformed British travel, started in the mid-1950s. The Motorway Archive celebrates the engineering achievement involved in the conception, planning, design and construction of this transport network by thousands of dedicated professionals.

"The Archive itself is a collection of as many of the documents and artefacts, which were associated with the development, as it has been possible to find. From this wealth of material has come the story of each motorway developed in Britain over the last 50 years."

Intercity Express Programme (IEP): Virgin launches its paint-job on the new Hitachi test train (coming to the Great Western Main Line and the ex-Eurostar depot at Old Oak Common a year earlier than Virgin's East Coast)

"Virgin Trains has unveiled the first of its new fleet of trains in a ceremony at King’s Cross attended by Sir Richard Branson. Set to revolutionise travel on the East Coast from 2018, the Virgin Azuma will be one of the most advanced trains on the UK’s rail network, and will embody the customer-centric approach which Virgin Trains is famous for.

"Literally translated [that's 'translated' then] as 'East' in Japanese, the Virgin Azuma pays homage to the new train’s lineage and to the East Coast route. With 65 trains providing an extra 12,200 seats for a new and expanded timetable, the fleet of Virgin Azumas will increase capacity into King’s Cross by 28 per cent during peak time.

"Whilst the trains will initially reach speeds of up to 125mph, Virgin Trains has today announced the creation of a cross-industry working group, including Network Rail, to investigate the potential for the East Coast route to enable their operation at 140mph.

[Above: For Mr. Blackadder. Below: For Baldrick.]

"Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, said:

"The state-of-the-art Intercity Express trains heading to Virgin will transform rail travel for passengers between London, the north east and Scotland. These new trains, combined with Virgin's exciting plans for the franchise, will provide more services, more seats, and faster journeys, helping to place passengers at the heart of the railway."

"Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, said:

"This is a hugely important moment for passengers on the East Coast. A line which has witnessed the historic Flying Scotsman and Mallard will now see passenger services transformed with the UK's most advanced long distance trains. Our customers on the West Coast have already seen what Virgin can bring to train travel and how the Pendolinos have made a huge difference to speed and comfort. Our new fleet of Azumas will bring a similar transformation to the East Coast, and propel one of the UK's most prestigious lines into the 21st century."

The new trains will also have:

• Faster acceleration: The Azumas will accelerate more quickly, slicing up to 22 minutes off East Coast journeys and making 4hr London-Edinburgh journeys, and 2hr London-Leeds journeys, the norm. They will accelerate from 0-125mph around a minute quicker than the current fleet 1 [The '1' doesn't have a matching footnote.]
• New direct services: The faster journeys will make direct routes to new destinations such as Middlesbrough and Huddersfield possible, as well as a big increase in through services to places such as Harrogate and Lincoln
• Greater comfort: The trains will have some of the best leg-room on the rail network, as well as ergonomically designed seats in both first and standard
• Virgin's unique feel: Both the interior and the exterior of the new fleet with have that distinctive Virgin atmosphere
• Lower emissions: The trains will be lighter and more energy efficient, making them some of the most environmentally friendly in the UK
• Improved facilities: The trains will have faster and free Wi-Fi, an improved traffic-light reservation system 2 [no footnote again], power sockets for every seat and more overhead luggage space
• Buffet cars: An onboard shop is a key part of the experience for passengers
• That's enough features. Ed.

"David Horne, Managing Director of Virgin Trains on the East Coast, said:

"Since Virgin Trains launched services on the East Coast in 2015 we have committed more than £40m to improving our existing fleet for passengers. As part of this we’re bringing in brand new interiors with new seats in both first and standard, new carpets and mood-lighting – a first for trains in the UK. I'm delighted that today we have been able to showcase how that transformation will continue, with the first of our brand-new Azumas alongside one of our existing spruced-up fleet. We’ve already celebrated the return of the restored Flying Scotsman to the route and now we are able to celebrate the stars of tomorrow, count down to 2018, and usher in a new era for the East Coast."

"The Azumas are being made by Hitachi at their rail vehicle manufacturing facility in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham – meaning the Virgin Trains fleet is being made on the East Coast for the East Coast.

"Karen Boswell, Managing Director of Hitachi Rail Europe, said:

"Hitachi has a long and proud heritage producing top quality, high-speed trains, going back to 1964 when our first 'Bullet Train' entered passenger service in Japan. We are, therefore, thrilled to be delivering the trains which from 2018 will transform the journey experience for tens of thousands of Virgin Trains customers travelling between London and Scotland along the East Coast. We are doubly proud that these new trains for the East Coast are being manufactured right here in the UK, creating some 730 new long-term jobs, engineering careers and apprenticeships."

[Reposted] Municipal Dreams (Barnet's corrupt car-based Brent Cross consent incorporates all the latest thinking. What will OOC be like?)

Link to
'The County of London Plan, 1943:
"If only we will" '

"The County of London Plan was commissioned by the London County Council, written by JH Forshaw (Chief Architect to the LCC) and Patrick Abercrombie (the most famous town planner of his day and Professor of Town Planning at University College, London) and published in 1943.

"It was a bold and comprehensive reimagining of the capital and, though most of its specific proposals were quickly forgotten in the austerity and necessary pragmatism of the post-war years, we should recall its ideals and vision – and perhaps learn from them too.

"... To modern eyes, there is something bitter-sweet in all this – in the irony that it is war that can unleash our most creative and idealistic ambitions for a better world; in the fact that war itself provided both the means – the power of the state and the collective will of the people – and the opportunity to rebuild." [Instead of which, many people in Brent, Camden and Barnet now have Barnet's remarkably corrupt Brent Cross planning consent.]

North Action Central Line station: The Feasibility Study Headlines

2016-02 OPDC Local Plan North Acton Station

Or, for enthusiasts:
'North Action Central Line station': The Fully Monty

Second view of Old Oak Common 3D model: IT LIGHTS UP. Oh, and the Budget.

Er, that's it.

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Budget 2016

1.335 "Old Oak Common has the potential to be one of the most significant regeneration sites in the country over the next decade.

"The government has therefore agreed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation on transferring government and Network Rail land into the Development Corporation’s ownership, on the condition that the Development Corporation develops a plan for funding, financing and delivering the regeneration."

The Future City: First view of Old Oak Common 3D model at MIPIM

Grand Union Street HS2 station entrance
(and London Overground to Willesden Junction Very High Level)

The rebuilt Mitre Bridge pub on a Saturday night

Old Oak Common Over-Station Development (to raft or not to raft)

Which would YOU choose?

GetWestLondon: "Boris Johnson's dad compensated for HS2 home sale while Ruislip residents miss out"

Link to web site

"Boris Johnson's father was forced to leave his multi-million pound home to make way for HS2 , whilst Ruislip residents have moved away without receiving a penny.

75-year-old Stanley Johnson, father of the Mayor of London and Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP, was left 'tearful' and 'heartbroken' after being left with no option but to sell his 'life's investment' to the Department for Transport.

The five-bed mansion was set to lose almost all of its value due to being just 10 metres from the controversial new subterranean track.

Stanley - who bought the house for £2.5million in 2007 - reluctantly decided to move out after qualifying for HS2's 'need to sell' scheme after saying he wanted to be nearer to his 93-year-old mother-in-law."

Evening Standard's Eddie 'Airmiles' Lister letter: Old Oak Common Rafting Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Evening Standard: "Londoners to be able to hail free laser-guided driverless cars for rides"

Glide to the web site

"Passengers will be able to digitally hail a laser-guided driverless car for free in London this summer.

"Six-seater autonomous electric pods will cruise along the Thames Path and other “pedestrianised environments” in Greenwich, mixing with walkers and cyclists.

"Eight shuttles based on the designs of Heathrow's monorail pods will 'intelligently move around' the Greenwich Peninsula, reaching speeds of more than 9mph as part of the EU-funded Smart Cities project."

The Observer: "London, city of pleasure"

"Our capital, for better or worse, has become the pre-eminent global city, and from high culture to bars, spas and clubs, our pleasure industry is a driver of that prosperity."

Link to web site

"Slow Burn City describes London in the early 21st century, the global city above all others, whose land and homes are tradeable commodities on international markets, a transit lounge and stopping-off point for the world's migrant populations, all to an extent greater than anywhere else.

"It is dazzling and exciting but also struggles to deal with the pressures created by its success. It is unable to offer many of its citizens a decent home, and its best qualities are threatened by speculation. Modern London tests to the limit the idea that, when it comes to the growth and organisation of a city, the free market knows best.

"London is a New Sybaris* of entertainment, art, fashion, cuisine and multiple refinements of pleasure, and a place of invention and opportunity where people are desperate to live."

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* "Sybaris amassed great wealth thanks to its fertile land and busy port. Its inhabitants became famous among the Greeks for their hedonism, feasts, and excesses, to the extent that 'sybarite' and 'sybaritic' have become bywords for opulent luxury and outrageous pleasure-seeking."
Which you doubtless already knew.

GetWestLondon: "Brent Council leader calls for future Crossrail links with Wembley"

The leader of Brent Council has expressed interest for [sic] a future Crossrail link between Old Oak Common and Wembley.

The Crossrail link between Old Oak Common and Wembley was called for by Councillor Muhammed Butt in response to research reportedly showing that London's economy is spreading outwards from the centre.

The newly-named Elizabeth Line will link London's west and east sides, with the line starting from Reading and ending at Shenfield.

Cllr Muhammed Butt spoke at an event at the Bilfinger GVA offices in central London on Friday (February 26) which was held to talk about economic growth in light of research showing that major investment is moving out from central London and is rebalancing London's economy.

He spoke alongside the leaders of other London boroughs including Councillor Julian Bell, Leader of Ealing Council and London's Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning, Sir Edward Lister [Airmiles Eddie] as well as representatives from Bilfinger GVA who presented their research on the changing London economy.

Councillor Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council said:

"With the central London economy expanding outwards, we think that a Crossrail link between Old Oak Common and Wembley would make perfect sense and should be brought forward in the future to unlock further opportunities."

Property Week: Steve Norris: "Governmental pass-the-parcel could ruin Old Oak Common potential"

"It takes a lot to make me angry."

For instance, this and this.

"But when I see a massive opportunity to build thousands of homes and jobs in London being missed when those are the capital's top priority, I confess my blood boils. Because that is what is happening at Old Oak Common in west London.

"Several years ago, Sir Terry Farrell opened London's eyes to a part of the city that most people simply didn't recognise and with good reason - Old Oak Common is an industrial wasteland criss-crossed by railways. Terry produced a masterplan that builds on Crossrail and HS2, both of which meet at Old Oak, to create an interchange that 250,000 people a day will use. He showed how the site, which is as big as Canary Wharf and only three miles from Hyde Park, could accommodate 24,000 homes and 55,000 jobs - numbers that Boris Johnson frequently quotes and that the prime minister cited recently when he used Old Oak as an example of his new Commissioned Homes initiative. The trouble is that, as things stand, the vast majority of those homes and jobs are simply not going to happen.

"Put simply, this is a classic example of governmental pass-the-parcel, with the Department for Transport, the mayor, HS2 and Crossrail all firmly in 'Not me, guv' mode. The issue is simple. To make Old Oak work, the railways and the new depot and stabling for Crossrail, which cover a huge proportion of the site south of the Grand Union Canal, need to be decked over. [Not necessarily.] Otherwise, they leave a massive hole in the heart of Old Oak, which not only means that most of the 24,000 homes will never be built, but also that the job numbers will fall by up to three-quarters. The solution is also relatively straightforward. You pile between the tracks to support a load-bearing deck. Network Rail's own video shows CGIs of escalators taking thousands of people a day up to their 40- and 50-storey offices and homes. The project costs more than £1bn but the over-site development value is twice that.

"But this is where the saga of Old Oak Common begins to look like an episode of Yes Minister, because no one wants to take responsibility for the decking. [Which may well not be needed.] HS2 and Crossrail both say, not unreasonably, that their job is to deliver a railway on time and on budget. Their budgets don’t include decking for development. They will put a crinkly roof over their stations and make sure passengers can get from one to the other. In the case of Crossrail, the depot and stabling get the same treatment.

"Neither the Treasury nor the transport secretary want to help. They say it's the mayor's problem and frankly they're right. Having failed to act for so long, Transport for London now says it recognises this is a massive opportunity going to waste but it has a solution: it will build the depot and stabling as planned, but then knock them down a few years later and rebuild some or all of them somewhere else. Seriously. Setting aside the lack of an alternative site [could be West Drayton or Wembley], this is just never going to happen anyway. No mayor is going to sanction disruption to Crossrail only a few years after it has opened. The service disruption would be enormous and the cost astronomic. [Not a credible argument. If it's not going to be a decking solution, just close one site and open another.]

"The reality is the job is either done now or it will never be done. Homes, jobs and valuable revenue all lost because no one wanted to grasp the nettle and sort the issue out. What we end up with is another Clapham Junction. Europe’s busiest train station it may be, but 10 yards outside and you wouldn't know it. Clapham Junction may be a lost cause but there is still time - just - to rescue Old Oak. But only if the next mayor of London takes the issue a lot more seriously than the current incumbent."

Steve Norris is chairman of the National Planning and Infrastructure Association and of Soho Estates

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QUESTIONS TO THE MAYOR

Crossrail (3)

Navin Shah (22-Oct-2014)

"Will you make long-term efforts to find an alternative site for the Old Oak Common Crossrail depot, or at least reduce its capacity, which would allow a concrete raft to be built over it, in order to encourage the further regeneration of the Old Oak Common area?"

The Mayor (22-Oct-2014)

"Yes, I agree that the long-term aim should be to move the depot as soon as possible to support regeneration at Old Oak Common."

High Speed 2 lobbying

Darren Johnson (23-May-2012)

"Which specific changes do you still want to see to the Government's HS2 proposals, and what are your plans to push for them?"

The Mayor (23-May-2012)

"There are number of changes I would like to see made to the Government's HS2 proposals, which were set out in my response to the HS2 consultation.

First, I would like to see provision for Crossrail 2 being made at Euston station. More than twice as many passengers are forecast to arrive at Euston station during the peak periods (compared to today) and this will require additional underground capacity. Without it, queues at Euston station will mean that station having to close on a regular basis.

Second, the proposed station at Old Oak Common must be compatible with the plans for the Crossrail depot at the site. The proposed layout at the site would pose significant challenges for Crossrail. In addition, further connections are required at Old Oak Common, to ensure this new interchange for west London is connected to the rest of London's transport network.

Third, the plans for a link to High Speed 1 must be altered to ensure that the link does not impact adversely on the North London Line through Camden. I am pleased that the Government has now agreed to revisit other options for this link.

Fourth, further environmental mitigation measures are required to reduce the impact of the scheme on London residents and businesses. I successfully fought to secure a new section of tunnel in the Ruislip area, but further mitigation is required. More people in London are affected by the scheme than anywhere else along the route, and the level of environmental mitigation needs to reflect this.

I plan to raise these issues with the Secretary of State again to ensure that the remit that she sets HS2 Ltd reflects Londoners' needs."

Old Oak Common

Navin Shah (9-Nov-2011)

"Please detail the transport enhancements for Old Oak Common that you have asked the Department for Transport to include in the core HS2 scheme to ensure it is accessible to the wider area."

Boris Johnson (Chair, TfL) and Sir Peter Hendy (Commissioner, TfL) (9-Nov-2011)

"Old Oak Common is currently a largely 'land locked' site with very limited access by road. Whilst lots of railway lines pass through the site, none of the services running on these lines currently stop at Old Oak Common. Locating a major new rail interchange at this point would require connections to the wider transport network to allow people to access the network and to help realise the wider economic benefits of HS2 for the local area and across outer London.

There are a number of options for achieving this, including those which are outlined in the Mayor's response to the DfT's HS2 public consultation. Options include connecting the station at Old Oak Common to the nearby London Overground network to allow better orbital connectivity from south, west and north London and connecting a branch of the Bakerloo line from Queen's Park to serve the new interchange.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council also have ambitious plans to regenerate the area, making the most of the opportunity provided by HS2. Whilst we are supportive in principle of the regeneration potential of the site, any new construction must be mindful of the operation and implementation of the committed Crossrail depot.

TfL is continuing to work with HS2 Ltd on these issues."

Old Oak Common Crossrail interchange

Murad Qureshi (17-Jun-2009)

"I have been made aware of plans to develop land at Old Oak Common which provide for a major mixed use development including industrial, research, distribution, office based and bio-tech industries related to the Hammersmith Hospital research centre. I understand regeneration of this area, which forms part of the Park Royal industrial estate, has the long term potential to bring 5,000 new jobs and 3,000 extra homes. Do you support the redevelopment of land at Old Oak Common railway sidings as a future Crossrail station and West London hub to provide a national High Speed Rail Link to Heathrow airport?"

The Mayor (17-Jun-2009)

"We are willing to discuss proposals but we need to be clear that there is an agreed Crossrail scheme, with an agreed budget and construction has recently begun. The focus is ensuring that Crossrail is delivered on time and to budget and bring the huge benefits that the scheme will provide. Any proposals that could increase costs or delay the programme would therefore clearly need very careful examination before being considered.

Much of Old Oak Common is required for the Crossrail depot, and the land is safeguarded as such in planning guidance. There are significant constraints in constructing a station on the site. There is for example no appropriate location for 250 metre long station platforms either close to the Crossrail lines or within the depot without significant relocation of existing infrastructure which is of prohibitive cost.

Recently the DfT sponsored HS2 company began looking at the viability of the site as one of several options for a potential connection between a proposed new high speed line and Crossrail. Crossrail Ltd and HS2 are continuing to keep each other informed of respective plans and any opportunities which may arise.

The GLA and LDA are also continuing to work with the local boroughs to look at major development opportunities within the area including through the Opportunity Area Planning Framework for Park Royal, the initial draft of which was consulted on in 2008. This encourages the continued development of Park Royal as a major strategic industrial location, as well as identifying other locations for additional housing next to existing Tube and rail stations. However given the concentration of heavy industrial uses at Old Oak and in particular major waste handling facilities it is not identified as a suitable location for housing in the current Framework."

Construction News: "Old Oak CEO Victoria Hills: 'We'll call the shots' on 650 ha west London regeneration"

"A Crossrail-HS2 super hub, 25,500 homes and two warring landowners: Victoria Hills reveals how she’s managing the hugely complicated process of turning Old Oak into the capital's newest neighbourhood"

"It's the largest regeneration project in the UK and it’s moving forward at pace. With the prospect of 25,500 homes, 65,000 jobs and a transport super hub to rival King’s Cross, Old Oak and Park Royal will transform west London.

"Victoria Hills, the woman in charge of bringing the 650 ha project to life, is under no illusions as to the scale of the job. 'This is a big deal,' she says.

"The site straddles three boroughs and has a complex mix of public and private landownership, which has already sparked a major row between Queens Park Rangers FC and the world’s largest used-car dealership, Cargiant.

"It was against this challenging backdrop that London mayor Boris Johnson set up the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) in March last year to manage the planning and development process. Ms Hills, who has more than 15 years' experience in the public sector, was named chief executive.

"Since then, planning has continued apace. The team got its Opportunity Area Planning Framework in place last November, with a Local Plan following shortly after.

" 'If you were to do a stock take of other planning authorities across London, I can guarantee that no one has moved that quickly to go from an OAPF to a Local Plan,' Ms Hills says with pride.

Millions to billions

"These achievements are just the beginning, however.

"Why is this so important? Because, as Ms Hills points out, “the faster you go, the quicker you can de-risk the land and provide certainty to the market that this is all happening”

"... Once complete, Old Oak will be home to an impressive new transport hub, connecting Crossrail, High Speed 2 and National Rail. But there’s one problem: 'It's not designed how we or the mayor want it,' Ms Hills says.

" 'It looks like the Stratford International station, which has no development deck, and that's the point: we want a development deck.'

"By investing a few hundred million in a development deck now, which would allow for commercial developments to be built above and around the station, the potential long-term upside could reach billions of pounds, Ms Hills explains.

"The OPDC is trying to secure an agreement with the government that a development deck will be built into the HS2 station design. 'There are some big government decisions that we need to influence now to avoid unintended consequences in the future,' she asserts.

" 'We're in active discussion with government at the moment about how we would have, in principle, a decision to put that aspect into a design tender. If we don’t do that this year, a big contract will go out to design a station and it won’t be designed in a way that has the maximum development potential.'

"But getting the deck would be only the start. Ms Hills also wants to be able to retain business rates and is putting pressure on government that the OPDC be allowed to do so.

"The corporation is looking to emulate the deal struck by Birmingham City Council around its HS2 station, through which the local authority has been allowed to capture business rates over a 25-year period to pay for infrastructure works.

"As for who will pay for the development deck, there are a few scenarios on the table.

"One option could see the OPDC form a joint venture with an investor that would pay for the enabling works expected to cost hundreds of millions. The investor would then take a percentage share of the uplift – '50 per cent, let's say' – of those development rights over a 20-year period.

"Ms Hills says potential investors could include Hong Kong-based railway company MTR International or property developer Related [involved with Argent in picking up the pieces of Barnet's corrupt Brent Cross planning consent]. Both are experienced in developing around stations, with Related currently building one of the biggest decks in the world in New York. I think she is inferring [sic. referring] to the Hudson Yards scheme.

" 'We'll call the shots as to what sort of place it becomes,' she adds. It's a mantra she wants to be heard loud and clear as overseas investors fly to London to meet the team.

"The high level of interest from backers only helps with the discussions she is having with government, Ms Hills insists.

" 'I can say with certainty that we have national and international interest. When we have our masterplan and a clear commercial strategy as to who we want to bring those sites to market, we’ll be ready to engage with those people who are really interested.'

"As the mayoral election edges closer, Ms Hills wants as many 'big decisions' as possible made before campaigning gets under way in earnest in the spring.

"The clock is ticking, but Ms Hills and her team are already proving they can handle the pressure."