|
|
Save Ealing’s Centre |
|
|
|
www.saveealingscentre.com |
|
Ealing Broadway Interchange – Options and Issues
Introduction
The SEC Vision calls for an integrated transport interchange at Ealing Broadway, with a clear preference for this to take the form of a bus station above the railway station. The SEC Vision was developed nearly a year ago now and further ideas and information have come forward in the meantime. This paper attempts to collate the key options and issues going forward. This has becoming pressing with the realisation that a juggernaut in the form of Crossrail is coming down the tracks.
SEC’s aims
SEC has a number of aims for the centre of Ealing. These aims will often interact with each other and any proposals put forward could meet one aim at the expense of another. Compromises may need to be agreed. The aims in the area of Ealing Broadway Station are summarised below.
Station capacity
The Crossrail rebuild of the station needs to be able to cope with passenger growth for many years to come. We mustn’t get back into the situation where the station is in danger of being closed on safety grounds because parts of it can’t cope with the number of passengers.
Transport Interchange
Transport for
Haven Green open space
Haven Green is a much loved and used piece of open space in the centre of Ealing, and indeed the only piece of open space for some distance to the north. It needs to be preserved, if not enhanced, in both size and appearance.
Design and Conservation Areas
The centre of Ealing, with the exception of the railway areas, falls within either the Haven Green or the Ealing Town Centre conservation areas. Any new development needs to either preserve or enhance the quality of these areas.
Good pedestrian and cycle links
There needs to be good pedestrian and cycle access to the shops, offices etc. in the centre of Ealing as well as to the public transport facilities. The current arrangement has some horrible pinch points for pedestrians and few concessions to cyclists.
Overall SEC aims for a transport interchange at Ealing Broadway
These are outlined in the following statement:-
· A set of facilities to enable transfer between trains, underground, buses, bicycles, taxis and cars and mini-cabs (for drop-off and pickup).
· Covered and step-free transfer between all forms of transport, without any road to cross.
· Covered waiting areas for all forms of transport, with travel information, convenience shops and public toilets.
· Short and convenient walking routes between all the forms of transport.
· Convenient access point(s) for pedestrians from surrounding areas.
· Ample covered cycle storage facilities.
· Enough capacity to cater for at least 15 years growth in passenger numbers following completion.
· Staff facilities for underground, bus and taxi drivers.
At least part of the interchange will inevitably be located on the station site. Other parts could be above or to some side of it, although they should not be on Haven Green. The whole should be of an architecturally high quality and pleasing design that enhances the Conservation Area. A wider redevelopment scheme of the whole site including Villiers House should be a regeneration priority.
Crossrail
Ealing has long regarded Crossrail as just a “good thing” with nothing but benefits once the construction period is out of the way. It probably didn’t pay anything like enough attention to the passage of the Crossrail Bill, both to maximise the benefits of the scheme and to minimise any longer term issues. This “lack of attention” criticism can be levelled at Council officers, Councillors, Ealing Broadway residents’ association and local residents. It shows up in the lack of any Crossrail commitments (the equivalent of planning conditions) in relation to Ealing Broadway. By comparison, Woolwich achieved a new station and Hanwell achieved a commitment not to do anything to preclude the opening of the southern entrance to the station.
The Crossrail Bill took the form of a mammoth planning application. Parliament conducted its own information rounds and consultations between 2003 and 2007, with details advertised in the Ealing Gazette as they would have been for a local planning application. The government agreed funding of the scheme in 2007 and the Bill achieved Royal Assent in July 2008. This provided the equivalent of outline planning permission for all the developments that constitute part of the Crossrail programme. The detailed plans are still subject to formal consultation with local councils (like Ealing). However, local councils have no powers to challenge or change the fundamentals of the scheme.
Ealing Broadway station changes
Ealing Broadway station will be almost completely rebuilt for Crossrail. The work is likely to take place between early 2013 and late 2016. The design is expected to be substantially as shown below:-
This includes longer mainline platforms for the 10-carriage Crossrail trains, a new ticket hall at street level, an overbridge connecting all mainline and underground platforms, escalators to the busiest platforms and lifts to all platforms.
The Crossrail Act doesn’t preclude a more extensive transport interchange and building development at Ealing Broadway station. A larger planning application could still be submitted so long as it incorporated all the features needed for Crossrail. Such a planning application would have to go through normal Council consultations and the Crossrail parts of the scheme would have to be implemented in time for the expected start of Crossrail service.
However, Crossrail Ltd. (the company nominated to implement the scheme) will now be on a mission. Their job is to implement Crossrail on time and on budget. They have essentially got all the permissions they need to do this. They don’t need to pay much attention to anything that will divert them from their aim unless their political masters (Mayor of London) and paymasters (UK Government and Mayor of London) direct them to do otherwise.
There is always the option of implementing other aspects of an integrated transport interchange in a way that doesn’t conflict with the Crossrail work, or that takes place either before or after the Crossrail parts are built. However, this is likely to be at a higher overall cost and to produce a less integrated design than if it was all planned and built at the same time.
Passenger Numbers
The number of people entering and leaving Ealing Broadway station has increased substantially in recent years, as shown in the table below.
|
Year |
Total passengers per annum (entry and exit) |
Mon – Fri average in the AM peak from 7am to 10am |
|
2003 |
12,818,000 |
11,396 |
|
2004 |
13,353,000 |
12,009 |
|
2005 |
13,508,000 |
12,279 |
|
2006 |
14,941,000 |
13,667 |
|
2007 |
17,528,000 |
16,135 |
|
2008 |
17,860,000 |
15,839 |
These figures are taken from Transport for
Passengers using the station in peak
periods certainly noticed that things were getting worse. However, it doesn’t
appear that anybody in a transport planning function picked up on the issue,
quantified it and amended any plans accordingly. The reasons for the increase
don’t seem to be understood, although the pattern is repeated in other parts of
outer
There no longer seems to be any sound basis for predicting future growth rates. The Crossrail Bill contained an estimate (Environmental Statement, Volume 08c, R W 5 Ealing Broadway Stn, para 22.47) of future passenger numbers at Ealing Broadway. It estimated that Crossrail would increase the numbers of people entering and leaving the station in the morning peak by about 30%, to a total of 15,950. As can be seen from the table above, even without Crossrail these numbers were exceeded in 2007. These high growth rates clearly can’t continue indefinitely and indeed the recession is reported to have caused a recent reduction in numbers. However, just a few years of resumed growth would exceed the capacity of the new station.
There are no recent figures (that I am aware of) for passengers transferring between different modes of transport at Ealing Broadway. Some figures from 1996 showed 21% of those entering the station as coming from buses and 14% of those using the station transferring between trains there.
Options for a Bus Station
A key issue for an integrated transport
interchange is where you put the bus station. TfL commissioned a report on this
from Halcrow Ltd. This report was produced in early 2006 and provided the basis
for much of the subsequent thinking. The key options are described below. The
focus has always been on the buses that go round Haven Green. The 207/427/607
buses that simply go along the
Sizing of the Bus Station
The basic options considered all have the same number of bus stops/stands as currently exist around Haven Green. The scope for expansion is listed under each option.
The number of bus passengers can be expected to grow. This will come from natural growth (as shown by the increase in the number of people using the station), from the introduction of Crossrail that is expected to increase usage of the station by 20%, and from existing and future office, residential and retail developments around the town centre. There are a number of ways of coping with this growth, all of which have issues associated with them.
Increasing the size of the buses
Many are already double-deckers as big as they get. All the single-deckers have well over half the capacity of a double-decker. There may be difficulties squeezing larger buses through some of the narrower streets on the bus routes. Larger capacities will mean that larger passenger waiting areas are required.
Increasing the frequency of the buses
This increases the number of bus stands required for the buses that terminate at Ealing Broadway. Bus stands are required to regulate the service. Extra buses will also increase congestion, especially around the bus station.
Reduce the number of buses that terminate at Ealing Broadway
This would reduce the need for bus stands and enable some bus stops to be put in their place. This would be done in conjunction with other changes like additional bus routes. There would be some knock-on effects on bus station design, as bus stands need no pedestrian access or waiting areas. There would also need to be extra passenger waiting areas as the bus times would become less reliable and maximum queue lengths would increase. However, the biggest problem is that nobody has yet come up with a practical scheme to terminate the buses somewhere else.
Existing Bus Arrangement
Whilst not a “considered option”, this provides a baseline for comparing other schemes. The bus stops and stands are spread along the eastern and diagonal roads of Haven Green and in front of the forecourt of the station. The advantages and disadvantages of this arrangement are listed below:-
Advantages
· It is there, so no expenditure is required to create it.
· The buses are well spread out, so don’t provide much of a visual barrier and provide decent pedestrian permeability.
Disadvantages
· Those passengers simply wanting to change between buses have a longer walk than would be needed if the bus stops were nearer together.
· There is no room for expansion as all the available space on the roads has been taken with bus stops and bus stands.
· There isn’t enough space for waiting passengers at peak times and they block the pavements.
· The bus shelters aren’t big enough for many of the passengers at peak times and they get wet when it rains.
· There aren’t any rest facilities or toilets for bus drivers, who have been known to relieve themselves in inappropriate places.
· Taxis can only be reached by crossing at least one road.
· The cycle parking facilities are inadequate (not enough and not covered).
· The drop-off and pick-up arrangements are inconvenient and inadequate.
On the eastern side of Haven Green
The Halcrow report had an option to create
a bus station by slabbing over the southern side of Haven Green. This would
have been very cost-effective with a benefit : cost
ratio of 5.9 : 1. Even Halcrow worked out that there “might be some local
opposition” to this idea. TfL and Ealing Council then modified the arrangement
to move it to the eastern side of Haven Green. It was in this form that it
appeared in planning application P/2008/4025.
This planning application was rejected by Ealing Council’s planning committee
on the same night as the
The scheme put forward in this planning application is shown below:-
Advantages
· Much less cost than other new arrangements at around £4M.
· Shorter distance to walk for those changing buses.
· Widened pavement to increase passenger waiting space.
· Increased cycle parking facilities (although not covered) and cycle lanes.
· Taxi pick up beside the station.
· Rest room and toilet facilities for taxi and bus drivers (although obtrusive design of them on the submitted plan).
Disadvantages
· No extra bus stop/stand capacity and no capability of increasing this without slabbing over a bit more of Haven Green.
· No improvement in walking distances for those going to and from the buses to the station.
· Small net loss of green space on Haven Green, although the technicalities of measuring common land show the area of this as unchanged.
· Some loss of mature trees, although replacement ones to be provided.
· Unsightly massing of buses next to an obvious area for substantial pavement cafes.
· Can’t be started until Crossrail work has been completed, as part of it covers a Crossrail construction site.
Over the Network Rail tracks on the north of the Arcadia
This is option 9b in the Halcrow report.
The design would span the railway tracks in much the same way as the proposed
Advantages
· Proper modern bus station with retail units etc.
· Good interchange between buses.
· Slightly shorter bus routes, as there would be no need to circumnavigate Haven Green.
· Most convenient location for those passengers not using the station, as it is nearer to other parts of the town centre.
· There are some expansion possibilities, basically by putting bus stops/stands back on the eastern side of Haven Green.
Disadvantages
· The scheme has a high initial cost. Halcow’s estimate was £40.3M. Much of this cost comes from bridging over the live railway lines.
· It has a benefit : cost ratio of 1. 4 : 1, just failing the normal requirement of a 1.5 : 1 ratio required for a transport development paid for by public funds. It does, however, exceed the absolute minimum ration of 1.1 : 1. The benefit : cost ratios are from the Halcrow report for the “with Crossrail, no tram, bus growth” scenario, as this is now the one that is most appropriate. Any development above the bus station that shared the cost of rafting over the rail lines would substantially improve the benefit : cost ratio.
·
It is unlikely to enhance the
view from Haven Green and would block any hopes of increased pedestrian
permeability between Haven Green and the rest of the
·
It wouldn’t be possible to
proceed with this scheme if the proposed
Over the underground platforms
A number of variants of this were
considered in option 5 in the Halcrow report. They included one over just the
District Line platforms, one extending to the Central Line ones and another
that had the proposed tram cross the southern part of Haven Green and exit via
a bridge over the Network Rail lines to re-join
The Halcrow design appears to have had the bus station at about street level. This conflicted with the Crossrail design for the station which has a pedestrian overbridge extending for its whole width. The favoured solution for this was to cut the overbridge short at its northern end and access the northern District Line platform round the back of the buffers to platforms 8 & 9.
The SEC
favoured design for this option has the bus station covering both the
District and Central Line platforms, with a bridge crossing the Network Rail
lines and joining
Advantages
· Proper modern bus station with retail units etc.
· Best possible interchange arrangements with rail, all under cover with short walking distances and no roads to cross.
· Good interchange between buses.
· Improves the appearance of Haven Green as stationary buses would be out of sight.
· Best scope for expansion, as further bus stops/stands could be added eastwards over the underground tracks.
Disadvantages
· This scheme has the highest initial cost. Halcow’s estimates were around £48M for most of the variants considered. Much of this cost comes from bridging over the live railway lines. There was a further £25M for taking the tram across the site.
· The basic variants considered by Halcrow had a benefit : cost ratio of 0.5 : 1, failing the normal requirement of a 1.5 : 1 ratio required for a transport development paid for by public funds. This was for the “with Crossrail, no tram, bus growth” scenario. These figures would suggest that a major development above the station would be needed to share the cost of rafting over the railway lines.
· Additional walking distance for those passengers not using the rail station.
North or south of the station
These possibilities haven’t been much explored. However, it would clearly be possible to fit a bus station on land either to the north or south of the station. These options would have the advantage of saving the high construction costs involved in spanning a live railway.
The option to the north would involve
taking the squash courts and the back gardens of quite a number of houses in
The option to the south would open up the
possibility of incorporating buses (207 etc.) that travel along the
Land ownership in the relevant areas
This affects the ease of agreeing plans and the potential need for Compulsory Purchase Orders. The situation is believed to be as follows:-
· The whole of Haven Green is in the ownership of Ealing Council.
·
The situation with the station
is less clear. An enquiry of the Land Registry a few years ago showed that at
least much of the land isn’t registered. The District Line part of the station
and its frontage onto Haven Green are owned by Transport for
· The old BBC car park (north of the railway cutting) is believed to be owned by Network Rail and leased to Glenkerrin.
· The railway cutting will be owned by Network Rail.
·
Most of the
What if Crossrail doesn’t go ahead as planned?
The current economic situation creates
uncertainty about all major investments such as Crossrail. The benefits of
Crossrail do look fairly sound as a study a few years ago concluded that the
scheme really should have gone ahead when it was first put before Parliament in
the 1980s. More recently, the benefit to the
Scheme delayed
This could provide additional time to sort out a better comprehensive development of the whole area around the station. It would, of course, delay the benefits that even a basic station rebuild would provide.
Scheme reduced in scope
This could take many different forms. The
most likely would be an attempt to cut out expensive elements that didn’t
produce so much early benefit. This may not affect Ealing as the really
expensive parts will be the tunnelling and stations in central
Scheme cancelled
This would have a wider affect on Ealing, especially as some developers (and others) have been banking on it coming. It may be possible to salvage some improvements to the station, perhaps using powers from the Crossrail Act. However, the Crossrail design for a new station could not remain unaltered, as the main passenger flows would still be to the Central Line platforms rather than to the Crossrail ones.
Planning for the new station and transport interchange
Nothing like enough detailed planning has yet been done for this. The passenger number forecasts are still very flaky and there has been little consideration of how any extra passengers will get to and from the station.
Crossrail, TfL and Ealing Council need to work on establishing a credible forecast for passenger numbers in future years, perhaps including different scenarios and confidence limits. They need to have a clear understanding of where the passengers will start their journeys, which modes of transport they will use, and what proportion of passengers will wish to change mode of transport at Ealing Broadway.
Ealing Council need to make a comprehensive assessment of the transport demands around the station post-Crossrail, including pedestrians, cyclists, taxis, buses, car drop-off points and vehicular traffic flows. They need to forecast the number of people who will simply go to and from the various facilities in the centre of Ealing (shops, offices, bar, colleges, bus station, railway station etc.) rather than just use Ealing Broadway as a transport interchange.
Ealing Council and Network Rail need to resolve any future need for additional tracks at Ealing Broadway, such as a 5th track for a link to Greenford or additional tracks for future west coast main line expansion.
Ealing Council then need to develop (in part with TfL and Network Rail) a scheme for the comprehensive development of the station site, plus any changes in the road system, footpaths, bus arrangements etc. needed to make the whole lot work well for all those who will use the town centre and transport facilities.
Ealing Council subsequently need to take this forward through public consultations and discussions with property developers. Work on the Local Development Framework has to take all these factors into account in reaching recommendations on how the station should be treated. The obvious starting point is the current UDP requirement that the site should be considered for development which maximises its potential.
There are a number of specific aspects that need to be considered in the whole new station design:-
· The possibility of having a passenger overbridge at the eastern end of the station, to improve normal flows between Crossrail and underground trains and to cope with any blockades of Paddington.
· The provision of substantial covered cycle parking space within the station development.
· The provision of staff facilities (rest rooms and toilets) for bus and taxi drivers within the station complex.
· Assessment of the need for additional pedestrian routes to the ticket hall, especially to relieve any pinch points on the pavements to the south of the station.
· Assessment of the capacity of the stairs and escalators to ensure they can cope with new predictions of maximum passenger flows.
· Assessment of the capacity of the ticket gates to cope with new predicted passenger flows.
· An architecturally pleasing design to the front of the station that enhances the Conservation Area.
Funding of the interchange
Major transport infrastructure is normally
funded from a variety of sources. The relatively local Petts Hill bridge was funded by Harrow and Ealing Councils, Transport
for
For the Ealing Broadway Interchange, it is far too early to start the haggling of just who pays how much towards its costs. The priority for now must be to develop some designs and make better estimates of the costs and benefits.
Richard Chilton
4/11/09