Station to Station?

Passengers who use Westcombe Park, Maze Hill, Greenwich and Deptford rail stations, either to commute into central London, to visit the West end or the City, or to travel en route to airports or other destinations are going to find their journeys affected by the re-development of London Bridge station. Whatever the reason for travel by train and at whatever time of day the journey is made, there will be some affect on every passenger’s journey – at some point while the work is underway and, potentially, for the foreseeable future after the re-development work has been completed.

 A £6 billion investment in completely rebuilding London Bridge station, the fourth busiest in the UK, will unify the current two stations, provide new platforms, a new concourse, incorporate escalators and lifts, offer more trains to more destinations, deliver a link to Crossrail and improve tube and bus interchanges.

However, there will be some serious consequences for passengers: -

  • Between 2015 and 2016, trains running into Charing Cross will not stop at London Bridge.
  • Between 2016 and 2017 trains running into Cannon Street will not stop at London Bridge.
  • From 2018, when the work is complete, there will be no link between the lines approaching London Bridge, so Westcombe Park, Maze Hill, Greenwich and Deptford passengers will lose all direct services to Charing Cross; trains will only run to and from Cannon Street.

 The Greenwich Society is concerned about the affects on passengers of these changes and wants both to make sure that all local people are aware of what is going to happen and, together with the Westcombe Society and with help from the Charlton Rail User Group, to do its best to represent passenger interests. After a very well attended public meeting at the end of March, the local Societies have helped to set up – GLUG – the Greenwich Line Users’ Group to provide a forum and a voice for local passengers, organisations and businesses. GLUG aims to establish links with southeastern, Network Rail, London Travel Watch, Transport for London and the Department for Transport so that a proper dialogue can take place and the needs of local passengers are properly and persuasively expressed.

 The GLUG Steering Committee has already met twice and attended a stakeholder meeting held by Southeastern rail. It will, as soon as the rail industry is able to suply answers to our questions, hold its first public meeting – to pass on information and to canvass views and opinions. It is apparent that, although southeastern now has an extended franchise and is aware of the disruption that will be experienced by users of the Greenwich line, they have –as yet – no answer to questions about how passengers will be able to gain access to London Bridge and its environs (including the major hospitals) when our trains do not stop there.

GLUG also has questions about the long-term loss of the link to Charing Cross, increasing pressures on Westcombe Park and Maze Hill stations and those station environments, the lack of ticket and oyster machines, short trains that stop at the ends of the platforms and many other issues.

If you have concerns about the rail service and the impact of the forthcoming developments and changes, please look out for and attend the GLUG public meeting and let the Greenwich Society know of your views (secretary@greenwichsociety.org.uk)

Jonathan Chandler
Honorary Secretary (and Member of the GLUG steering committee)

PDF icon London Bridge redevelopment leaflet (from Network Rail)

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In the meantime - southeastern want your views

"We are always looking to broaden our consultation base to ensure that those we take soundings from are representative of those who travel with us.

For example 50% of our passengers are women, we operate through a culturally diverse area in southeast London and large numbers of young people use our services to travel to school or college. This is not necessarily reflected in members of the rail user groups with whom the rail industry traditionally consults. Moreover, the evening meeting format is often inconvenient for those with work, childcare or other family commitments.

To resolve this, from early next year we are looking to establish an on line passenger, community and business panel. We are obviously interested on the views of commuters, but we also want to hear from those who while not regular travellers, are interested in rail services as an environmentally friendly form of transport and see the local station as part of their community. In addition, we also want the views of the many small businesses that operate at or near local stations and have an obvious stake in footfall at the station and the level of service provided by the operator.

The panel will be surveyed on a regular basis, say, four or five times a year on issues that might include station car parking costs, timetable changes, facilities at stations and fare levels. We’ll also be running interactive web sessions giving panel members the opportunity to put their questions and points of view to MD Charles Horton and his senior management team direct.

We’re currently compiling a database of those interested in taking part and if this does appeal, particularly if you can’t get to rail user group meetings or our regular stakeholder forums, please let me know."

Mike Gibson
Public Affairs Manager
Southeastern
Friars Bridge Court
41-45 Blackfriars Road
London SE1 8PG

 

New volunteers needed for Newsletter delivery!

Can you spare an hour or two every other month to support the Society?

We depend on our stalwart deliverers to get the Newsletter out to around 500 member households each month – saving the Society significant postage costs – and we could use your help!

We would be particularly interested in new deliverers from the Ashburnham Triangle, Blackheath and East Greenwich areas.

If you’re able to help out please contact Franklin Steves by telephone on

0208 853 2390 or via email at membership@greenwichsociety.org.uk.

Franklin Steves

 

Greening of Greenwich

The Spring is a good time to think about ways of improving the small open areas in east and west Greenwich.

Some members already work on sites such as the Burney Street Garden on the corner of Royal Hill and Burney Street, but there is room for several more volunteers to work there, and to develop and maintain other areas in parts of east and west Greenwich.

If you are interested, email Jonathan Chandler, our Honorary Secretary at secretary@greenwichsociety.org.uk and someone will be in touch to give more information and to discuss possible ways of contributing to making our area a more attractive place for residents and for visitors.

 

 

Greenwich Park after the snow

GSnow 

 

Royal Parks Stakeholders' Meeting

20th November 2012

The main points discussed included:-

  • Royal Parks are looking to cover their funding shortfall by raising income rather than cutting costs and services. One income source is lavatories and they are putting a toilet contract out to tender - with charges to be introduced.
  • The parterre will now need aeration because the Olympic arena stilts have caused compaction. Hopefully, however, turfing should be complete by Christmas. Fencing will probably need to be in place until March 2013.
  • Work on the new gates will begin in January 2013. 
  • There will be major works on paths, the Avenue and Blackheath Avenue in the new year to address both long term wear and tear and the LOCOG heavy traffic damage. These will be largely funded by Locog but will require road closures for up to six weeks.
  • There are only a very small number of ash trees in the Park, so the major tree health concern remains the chestnut disease which is claiming four or five trees a year. At some stage there will need to be a plan for large scale replacement.
  • Since enforcement of new fixed penalties for litter, dog fouling and off-piste cycling from October 1st, the police have have issued two penalty notices.
  • There are plans for a redesign of the haha herbaceous border within the next couple of years.

Pieter van der Merwe commissioned a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London

Pieter van der Merwe - a longstanding member of the Society and its Executive Committee  - has been commissioned a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London, among new appointments to that role made by the Lord-Lieutenant, Sir David Brewer, and published in the London Gazette on 8 November. As of 1 January 2013 he will also be succeeding Lt-Col. Cyril Young as Representative Deputy Lieutenant for the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

The Lord Lieutenant is The Queen’s representative in the county or city concerned. He or she has the right to appoint deputies (DLs) to assist him, subject to Crown consent (i.e. the Crown has a veto rather than actively approving). In Greater London the Lord Lieutenant also appoints a Representative DL for each borough.  Deputy Lieutenancy is a public office, voluntary and non-political, and there are at present just under 60 for Greater London. Pieter and Cyril Young are the only two in Greenwich: Cyril will remain one in a personal capacity but is standing down as Representative, since now spending more time elsewhere.

 Pieter’s appointment is in a personal capacity, not formally linked to his work at the National Maritime Museum.

Greenwich Society helps the World Heritage Site Team

Extract from a letter to the Chair of the Greenwich Society: -

"I write to thank you and the Greenwich Society for the generous donation to the World Heritage Site Team.  Alan our handyman was able to purchase paint, t-cut and a special tool for removing nails and bolts which in particular will be a great asset for removing imbedded nails from public benches.  We look forward to having an additional  handyperson joining Alan soon and then extending his good work to East Greenwich and the river path.  In these difficult times we are making do and mending with the materials we have, however  the Greenwich Society’s generosity goes a long way in helping us to achieve our objective of making Greenwich an even better environment for us all."

What does Greenwich mean to you?

 Greenwich Park Panorama

The Greenwich Society, which was born as a civic amenity group in the late 1950s, aims to work to make Greenwich a better place for all who live, work and study here – from Deptford Creek to the O2 and from the river to Blackheath. The Society has a special interest in thriving, long and sustainable businesses, the town’s commercial centres East and West, regeneration, traffic management, the natural and built environment and relations with the local authority and all the agencies who have to manage change. Whether it is the watchfulness that is required to protect the town’s heritage or the natural concerns of local residents to improve its amenities, the Greenwich Society welcomes members and gives a voice to everyone who cares about the past, the present and the future.