Step-free access at Streatham station delayed again

Streatham's Green Team disappointed again

Plans to make Streatham Station accessible to wheelchairs, buggies, bikes and people with reduced mobility will not take place until 2020 at the earliest, Streatham Greens have learnt.

In response to a parliamentary question from Green Party peer Jenny Jones, transport minister Lord Ahmad wrote: “…it has become necessary to defer construction of the Access for All project at Streatham station until after 2019.”

This contradicts Network Rail area director Ellie Burrows, who in November told Streatham’s public Transport Question Time that work would take place in 2017/18.

Lord Ahmad said Network Rail would continue its development and design work at Streatham – in the hope that funding would become available in future.

Accessibility at Streatham Station confirmed

Further to our report a few weeks ago, Green member of the House of Lords Jenny Jones very kindly tabled a question in Parliament so we could get confirmation that the funding to make Streatham Station accessible was secure, and where the matched funding would be coming from.

It seems that the £50,000 Section 106 money from the hub development for Streatham Station will be used after all (as we pushed for) as matched funding funding.

This is the response in full (also online here):

Streatham Station

Question

Asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to make funding available under the Access for All programme to make Streatham overground station accessible; whether matched funding has been promised; and if so, by whom.[HL2395]

The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Baroness Kramer) (LD): Access for All funding will be made available to provide Streatham station with an accessible route to each platform by April 2018. There is £50,000 in match funding available from Lambeth Borough Council.

New ramps agreed for Stanthorpe Road, Ashlake Road and Bournevale Road

Following a request from local residents we contacted Lambeth Council and asked if ramp access could be put in on Stanthorpe Road at the junctions with Ashlake Road and Bournevale Road.

At present the crossing points there are inaccessible to wheelchair users and those with mobility impairments. Ramps will also help those pushing buggies or prams.

The council has now been and inspected the site, and agreed to put ramps in at both these locations. It has given its contractors a deadline of 21st August for the ramps to be put in.

This is part of our drive to make the area more accessible after issues of accessibility have been neglected by both the council and local councillors for years.

For some other examples of where we have done this see these links here:

End of Riggindale Road

Outside Wellfield Road Community Centre

Thirlmere Road ramp access

Ramps on Tooting Bec Gardens

Pavement widening at the bottom of Tooting Bec Gardens/ Garrad's Road

Or more on our accessible Streatham campaign here.

Getting ramp access on Stanthorpe Road at junctions of Ashlake Road and Bournevale Road

We have Lambeth Council for ramp access to be put in on Stanthorpe Road at the junctions with Ashlake Road and Bournevale Road.

It is currently impossible for a wheelchair user to travel along the north pavement of Stanthorpe Road because of the raised curbs at these junctions. They also present a hazard for older people and those with mobility impairments, as well as difficulties for those with buggies, prams of mobility scooters.

For other examples of where we have done this see these links here:

End of Riggindale Road

Outside Wellfield Road Community Centre

Thirlmere Road ramp access

Ramps on Tooting Bec Gardens

Pavement widening at the bottom of Tooting Bec Gardens/ Garrad's Road

Or more on our accessible Streatham campaign here.

New ramps on Conyer's Road at junctions with Fairmile Avenue, Babington Road and Gleneagle Road

Last year, I wrote about an older man I met on Conyer's Road who used a mobility scooter but had to take a huge detour every day because he couldn't access the junctions from the pavement.

We contacted the council and asked if ramp access could be put in at several points on Conyer's Road at the junctions with Babington Road, Fairmile Avenue, and Gleneagle Road.

We are pleased to say that this work has now begun. Several of the ramps have been put in and the work should be finished soon.

This is part of Accessible Streatham Campaign - in which we are working to make the local area more accessible for older people, those with mobility impairments as well as those with buggies and prams.

For other examples of where we have done this see these links here:

End of Riggindale Road

Outside Wellfield Road Community Centre

Thirlmere Road ramp access

Ramps on Tooting Bec Gardens

Pavement widening at the bottom of Tooting Bec Gardens/ Garrad's Road

Or more on our accessible Streatham campaign here.

New ramp access on corner of Abbotswood Road and Hoadly Road

As well as pushing to get the surface of Abbotswood Road sorted out (it will now be resurfaced between 18-25 February 2013 according to correspondence we have been sent by Lambeth Council)we also asked for ramp access to be put in at the corner where Abbotswood Road meet Hoadly Road, opposite Streatham and Clapham High School.

As you can see from the picture above, anyone coming along that side of the road using a wheelchair would have been stranded and unable to cross the junction. This is something that really should have been sorted out a long time ago, but seems to have escaped the attention of our local councilors/ the council. But we are pleased to report that following our request in September this has now been done.

This is part of Accessible Streatham Campaign - in which we are working to make the local area more accessible for older people, those with mobility impairments as well as those with buggies and prams.

For other examples of where we have done this see these links here:

End of Riggindale Road

Outside Wellfield Road Community Centre

Thirlmere Road ramp access

Ramps on Tooting Bec Gardens

Pavement widening at the bottom of Tooting Bec Gardens/ Garrad's Road

Or more on our accessible Streatham campaign here.

Ramp access at the end of Riggindale Road

There were two vehicle crossovers at the end of Riggindale Road, on either side, which were inaccessible.

The steps on each side meant it was very difficult for anyone using a wheelchair to use that route to get to Tooting Common. It was also causing problems for those with mobility impairments or using mobility scooters, as well as an inconvenience to parents pushing buggies and prams.

One was outside Pinkerton Place.

The other was outside number 2 Riggindale Road.

We asked the Council to ramp the vehicle crossovers, which they did a couple of days ago outside Pinkerton Place:

...and outside 2 Riggindale Road

This part of our ongoing project to make the environment around Streatham more accessible.

For other examples see:

Thirlmere Road ramp access

Outside Wellfield Road Community Centre

Ramps on Tooting Bec Gardens

Pavement widening at the bottom of Tooting Bec Gardens/ Garrad's Road

Or a list here.

Moves toward better access at Streatham Station

It seems that there are now some potential plans to try and improve Streatham Station's accessibility a little in the short-term.

In recent years, both Streatham Hill and Streatham Common station have been made more accessible for those with mobility impairments and difficulties, most notably with the introduction of lifts. However Streatham Station has yet to have the necessary investment or even a shorter-term solution solution which might enable everyone in Streatham to use it.

This is particularly disappointing as visitors to the station will have noticed that there is what looks like the potential for level access on both sides of the station, from the Hideaway and Streatham Business Centre car park on one side, and from a walkway on the other.

The history is as follows: In 2005 the Government allocated additional investment of £370 million to be spent specifically on improving access to many UK stations. This investment is known as the Access for All funding and is in addition to expenditure determined through new franchises. This funding was phased over 10 years to 2015.

To establish how the Access for All funding should best be spent, the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) consulted in 2005 and under the Railways Act 2005 responsibility for taking this forward was transferred to the DfT. The results of this were used to inform the development of the Railways for All Strategy as published on the DfT’s website. In the Streatham area both Streatham Common and Streatham Hill benefitted from step free access with lifts under this scheme, but not Streatham Station.

I made some enquiries through Green Assembly member Darren Johnson, to the Department for Transport and also to Southern who operate the rail network, to see what the future plans were. It it turns out that whilst the necessary investment still seems a long way off, they are exploring some shorter-term solutions.

This is the response I received from Southern:

"We do have some possible options to look at with regard to Streatham but they are subject to working with adjacent land owners and the local council to provide a step free route. We are in liaison with Lambeth Council about the stations access and have a meeting with them in the near future to discuss the options."

There is potentially some small funding available to help this to happen:

"Southern currently invests in access improvements via the Minor Works Programme, an annual ring fenced Southern budget solely used to improve access at stations for schemes like ramps, automatic doors, adjustable height ticket office windows, side gates, improved contrasting stair nosings and handrails etc. We also work with local stakeholders (for example councils) to find ways of working together to get maximum investment in the schemes. We have also been awarded an annual budget this year for Access for All Small Scheme improvements by the Department of Transport (DfT) which includes similar schemes. Lift schemes are outside the scope of these budgets and are covered by the DfTs Access for All Major schemes traditionally delivered by Network Rail.

"Streatham was not one of the stations selected nationally for investment under the Access for All funding on the current programme. Therefore there are no plans within the current financial rail period to provide lifts under the Access for All scheme at Streatham and the Department for Transport are yet to announce their ongoing plans for station accessibility to include lift schemes from 2015 onwards. The options we will look at in the near future will therefore not include installing lifts at the station."

So whilst there are, as yet, no plans for lift access, it may be that access can be improved through negotiations between the council, and those owning land around the station, using the Minor Works Programme budget. These negotiations are ongoing. We'll keep you updated when we hear of any progress or developments.

Progress on accessibility of Streatham High Road

The Streatham Guardian have today covered our report on accessibility on Streatham High Road. We found that around two thirds of shops on the High Road are inaccessible. But we are urging the council that the new money from the mayor's Outer London Fund which has been earmarked for improving Streatham's shop-fronts be used to address this issue.

The response from councillor Lib Peck, the Council's Cabinet member for regeneration was disappointing at one level but also encouraging at another:

“Unfortunately we can’t make businesses comply with disability access laws, but we do have some power around the Outer London Fund we will use it to make sure that those properties given money are already compliant.”

It is true that the council can't force local businesses to be accessible. But there is a lot councils can do. Indeed, it has a duty to do them under the Equality Act 2010 which places a responsibility on councils to eliminate discrimination and advance equality of opportunity for disabled people.

The council can, for example, take into consideration access issues when planning applications are submitted. It could run a campaign to raise awareness among local businesses. It could have included these issues in the Streatham Masterplan, but it did not. The fact is that the council has sadly not been proactive in addressing these issues.

One small element of progress however which is encouraging is that we are now getting these issues on the agenda. We now have the promise that money will only go to DDA compliant (accessible) premises, which means if businesses want the money they will need to shape up.

But this is of course different from giving money to shops so that they can become accessible, as part of the programmes of shop-front improvements.

Report: Shop accessibility on Streatham High Road

We have just completed a survey of shop/ business accessibility on a the section of Streatham High Road which is the focus of change in the next two years. Our report is below, but among the findings are that two thirds of shops are inaccessible. Not only is this an issue of social justice, it also has significant implications for Streatham's local economy.

Survey of Accessibility on Streatham High Road

Thirlmere Road/ Tooting Bec Gardens crossing made accessible

We have had another accessibility success in getting the intersection of Thirlmere Road and Tooting Bec Gardens made accessible.

This follows the pavement widening at the bottom of Tooting Bec Gardens, the ramping of the vehicle crossovers on the same road, and the access improvement outside the Wellfield Community Centre.

Previously there was no ramp access here, so we approached the council, and it has now been ramped on both sides of the crossing.

Now you see it...now you don't

There's been an old rusty pole on Tooting Bec Gardens for probably more than a decade, with no sign on it, causing an obstruction to the driveway at 25 Tooting Bec Gardens as well as pedestrians using the road.

We got Transport for London to remove it.

Success: pavement widened at bottom of Tooting Bec Gardens, junction with Garrad's Road

As flagged up at the end of this blog, we've been trying to get Transport for London (who have responsibility for Red Routes) to widen the pavement at the bottom of Tooting Bec Gardens where it meets Mitcham Lane.

The situation has been for a long time that the pavement isn't wide enough for many people with buggies, wheelchair users, those with mobility scooters etc... to get past a large tree. In fact it is downright dangerous for many people, particularly in winter when conditions are icy, right next to a red route with large amounts of fast-moving traffic.

We have been trying to get it sorted for months. TFL finally committed to addressing it back in February, and I'm pleased to report that TFL have now almost completed the work. I spoke to the workmen today, and they say the job should be completed tomorrow.

Update: 27/6/12 - here it is completed...

Encounter with an older man on Conyers Road

I was down on Conyers Road a couple of days ago, taking some pictures of some areas where there is no ramp access to cross the road - in particular the junctions with Babbington Road and Fairmile Avenue.

As I did so, along the pavement came a man who I estimated to be in his Eightees, on a mobility scooter. We began chatting, and I asked whether the lack of ramp access was causing him difficulties - particularly as it means cars tend to park across the corner as a result because drivers don't see it as an access point.

"Yes" he replied. "I come along here every morning to get onto Mitcham Lane, but I have to go all the way down there in order to find a place where I can get across the road" he said, pointing in the opposite direction, "and then come all the way back this way" he said, pointing in the direction of Mitcham Lane.

For years, it seems, every morning he has had to go hundreds of yards out of his way, just because no one has put in a small ramp down to the road so he can cross the junction - and indeed, because no local councillor has spotted that there might be a problem.

"Would you like me to contact the council, and try and get a ramp put in?" I asked.

"Would you?" he replied, his face lighting up.

I have contacted Lambeth council, asked them to drop the kerbs. And I've dropped a note through his door to let him know, too.

[Update: Ramps are now installed. See here ]

Success: Improved access on Tooting Bec Gardens

It's taken around eight months, but we have finally got Transport for London to improve pedestrian access on Tooting Bec Gardens.

For those not familiar with the road, its a very busy one way street which runs from Tooting Common up to Streatham High Road. It is very hard to cross with two or three lanes of traffic, except at the pedestrian crossings at either end, which are about 250-300m away from each other.

There were three vehicle crossovers which were impossible for wheelchairs to go across, and also difficult for others with mobility impairments, about three quarters of the way down one side of the road. If you reached them and couldn't get past them, the only option was to go back a long way to the nearest crossing, or take your life in your hands and go into the road. But even on the other side there is a large tree at the junction near Tooting Common, which is very hard to navigate past in a wheelchair without tipping off the pavement into the road.

I approached Transport for London (who have responsibility for them as this is a Red Route) back in October last year about these issues. After a significant amount of chasing, a couple of weeks ago they finally got around to ramping the vehicle crossovers. The work it seems, in the end took less than a day to complete, but will make a huge difference to anyone with mobility difficulties. I am still chasing about widening the pavement around the tree!