Although the closing date for Commenting/Objecting was 4th September 2020, the Council will accept comments and objections up to a short while before the Planning meeting, which is now expected to be in November 2020.

Therefore it's recommended that you comment/object before Friday 23rd October 2020

If you have already objected you can object again to make a further objection.

When you object, please ensure you scroll down to select Objection.

The Station Capacity Upgrade, which included step free access was shelved indefinitely on 29 July 2020 by TfL.

There is no point in allowing these applications to go ahead, if at the end of the day, there is no step free access or improvements to pedestrian flows through the station. Will you still be alive when step-free access is built?

Please note that any statements from the developers that they will definitely be providing step free access are false. In their letter to RBKC Council (2418077.pdf) the developers state a the bottom of page 1 that they will only be "Facillitating the delivery of step-free access" or in other words not actually delivering step-free access, but still making loads of money from the development.

None of the housing the developers plan to build will be at genuinely affordable social housing rent levels. Their definition of affordable being based on local market rate rents, which in South Ken are extortionately high. This leads to enhanced inequality.

Let's get the developer friendly planning and listed building applications rejected and thrown out, so we can accept a new planning application from TfL only and only for improving pedestrian flows and full step-free access.

If it is possible to 100% guarantee that there will be no redevelopment and there is a lack of trust over this, then we would be delighted for the decision making committee

1) to approve only those works neccessary to provide step free access to the Circle & District line trains, whilst safeguarding step-free access to the Piccadilly line trains.

2) to approve only those works neccessary for the Station Capacity Upgrade through the station, including reusing the disused Northern platform for Eastbound trains.

These 2 sets of works are the only acceptable parts of the application. They would be very welcome as they are long overdue, so let TfL get on with it now!

The Station Capacity Upgrade (SCU) works are very welcome (page 167 of DAS 20) of 2388809.pdf,

For Tourists, who can't read English, there should be digital signs installed, which are internationally understood, to direct pedestrian flows e.g.

The Station Enhancement Works (SEW) to provide lifts in 2.2 Element 01 - Thurloe Street Step Free access (SFA) to the from the platform/subway to ticket hall level are very welcome too from page 172 onwards of Desigh Access Statement(DAS) 20 in 2388809.pdf, We hope that someone remembers to install lifts in Exhibition Road to/from the subway as well.

There is no stair free access at the moment, except changing directions on the Circle or District line Eastbound to go Westbound or vice versa.

The facade of the corner unit (page 181 of DAS 21) in 2388810.pdf at the Northern entrance to the arcade between the lifts and stairs should house digital departure boards and CCTV of the 4 platforms

There must be safeguarding of disused liftshafts and to enable upgrade of the Interchange/Escape Stair to full entrances and exits to District, Circle and Piccadilly line platforms with Lifts (Element 02 of SEW page 194 of DAS 22) in 2388811.pdf . The photograph on page 194 is misleading as it shows Thurloe Bridge with no redevelopment.

It is absolutely imperative that the East end of the station is kept free of additional development to ensure future measures can be taken to improve pedestrian throughput and step-free access to all lines in accordance with the Mayor of London's Transport Strategy.

Please refuse permission for the Eastbound platform's canopy as it is out of keeping with the existing canopy. The new canopy is set away from the brickwork so that when it rains or snows, passengers will be encouraged to move dangerously closer to the track contrary to the Mayor of London's policy of Vision Zero.

We request TfL to submit plans for a more suitable canopy similar to the existing canopy or with more clear glass, level with and extended to join the top of the brickwork page 191 DAS | South Kensington - Around Station Development(SK-ASD).

There are also serious concerns over e.g. wheelchair users' believing that step free access wil be part of the redevelopment (Public Comment 2413889.pdf uploaded on 24 Aug 2020). The proposals will not help those with mobility issues now that step-free access is on hold.

There are numerous comments from individuals, who are only supporting step free access and would otherwise object to no step free access.

There is no genuinely affordable housing in the redevelopment plans.

There will be extra emissions/pollution due to gridlock with the construction works, deliveries to new properties causing delays to emergency services and disruption to the 360 bus route,

The new buildings, after several years of pollution and not being built from traditional materials, will have that pollution etched into the fabric of the buildings making them look grimy and making the neighbourhood look like a dump. (page 133 onwards DAS SK-ASD)

On page 140 of DAS |SK-ASD it states that Existing Station planting to be retained. Does this include the weeds too?

There will be a significant reduction of sunlight in Statement of Community Involvement (SOCI) Page 38, (DAS | SK-ASD Page 144) and (DAS | SK-ASD page 126) to the South Ken platforms due to new buildings on Thurloe Bridge & Pelham Street and its canyonisation (SOCI Page 13) using hoodie and drug dealer friendly architecture, thus attracting enhanced levels of crime, street urination, noise echoing and anti-social behaviour contrary to the Mayor of London's Policy regarding Healthy Streets.

In other words - Keep the Wall in Pelham Street or replace with Victorian style railings to allow more light and sunlight through to the platforms. This would help to make the Heritage Structure (in blue) visible from Pelham Street (page 148 SK-ASD Pre application meeting). That's called an improvement not a redevelopment.

This shows how "around Station development" adversely affects the station itself.

There is already increased footfall caused by moving the TfL lost property office from Baker Street to 63-81 Pelham Street.

The extra space on the platforms at Circle and District line level should be used to provide toilets, which are accessible, male, female and for baby changing. They must be free at the point of use.

Note the misleading use (SOCI Page 51) and (page 129 SK-ASD) and page 131 of the Sun's direction in the top photo to conceal the fact that most of the day the platforms will be in a dark and dingy shade from the Pelham Street overdevelopment. The station will be canyonised at least as worse as Edgware Road

Note the difference between the South and North Side of the station.

The bottom photo on SOCI Page 51 fails to show the amount of shade cast on Five Guys and adjoining cafes/restaurants from the new over-height bullnose. The bullnose must not be permitted to increase its height due to the extra shade cast over the ornate arcade during late afternoon and evening and the requirement for TfL to look after its listed buildings.

The photo of the arcade (DAS | SK-ASD Page 37) deceptively does not show the shadow cast later in the day from the new Bullnose even though the sun is shown shining from the west.

There are serious concerns regarding the Consultee response from Thames Water (TW) 2405479.pdf on the 29th July 20 at 11:16 regarding the 3rd Party Application. The TW reference is DTS 62046.

On page 190 of DAS | SK-ASD (Figure 2.2w), the right hand set of stairs has been changed to an exit from the station instead of an entrance as at present. The retail unit must be removed and replaced with ticket machines so passengers entering the station by those stairs and the lifts do not have to cross the flows of passengers to and from the subway to the museums.

The increase in passenger flows in the unpaid part of the ticket hall due to the extra ticket barriers will cause mayhem if machines are not installed between the lifts and the right hand set of steps. There has to be a planning restriction on building this retail unit

Please object here to the planning application rbkc.gov.uk/PP/20/03216 on amongst other things, safety grounds as there is and will be more dangerous overcrowding by tourists and visitors to the museums especially during school holidays and half terms, and from the extra footfall encouraged by extra flats and commercial spaces in this application.

Natives of South Ken & Chelsea, visitors and tourists have already paid through the nose for very expensive travelcards, oystercards and single tickets over many decades.

There is no excuse for step-free access to be conditional on having an public asset-stripping developer involved.

Listed Buildings

The proposals include ugly and out of place (SOCI Page 44) looking buildings including the "Gasometer" (DAS | SK-ASD Page 79) like structure to replace the grade 2 listed bullnose of low height shops allowing views to Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian buildings, which tourists and natives enjoy when visiting historic South Kensington and Albertopolis.

The evidence is clear from looking at the Bullnose from the top deck of double-decker buses in Harrington Road and the Old Brompton Road, that the Bullnose was not built higher due to blocking sunlight from the West (DAS | SK-ASD Page 61). The height of the Bullnose matches the height of the entrance to the arcade.

The only indication from page 61 is that the steel lattice structure was over-engineered at the time, as was the Forth Railway Bridge in Scotland, Therefore the Bullnose's steelwork and metallugy ought to be upgraded to Grade I listed status and if not, then designated an UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Consultation

There was no consultation done south of the Fulham Road. The catchment area of South Ken is much greater than in SOCI Page 68 for the area shown.

The applicants failed to draw lines of equidistance between stations to define catchment areas and failed to draw contours based on time (equichronological/isochromes?) to commute to South Ken on the bus and on the night bus (embedded in the map - the title is Night buses from Liverpool Street" at the time of writing).

The 49 bus goes to Gloucester Road northbound, having passed South Kensington, so that station is an unsuitable alternative for anyone on that Clapham omnibus.

The night bus map was not found in the SK-ASD | Draft Framework Travel Plan (DFTP) (page 28 Appendix T2), which is a grave omission.

Advertisements for this development, were placed in the north side of the arcade, which excluded everyone entering or exiting from the south from seeing them.

There are numerous errors and subjective opinions in the proposals e.g. in the DAS |SK-ASD on (page 217) the entrance grilles do not say "METROPOLITAL" (sic), the top right photograph Fig 29, is of the Northern entrance to the Arcade.

The bottom right photograph Fig 31 claims the display board has been "insensitively" inserted into plaster, when it hasn't.

The night bus map with a light background on the display board, used to confuse tourists during daytime though.

It is imperative that the east end of the station is kept free of additional development to ensure future measures can be taken to improve pedestrian throughput and step-free access.

Please object here to the Listed Building Consent application

With the consultation taking place during the Coronavirus pandemic and whilst most students at Imperial College and other institutions are away on their summer holidays, this 'consultation' is not giving sufficient numbers of people around the station to have their say officially.

Would the decision making committee kindly give an emphatic rejection of these plans to avoid causing the inconvenience of having to object to future redevelopment applications.

If the development is approved, then opponents of the Crossrail 2 station in Chelsea will seize on the opportunity to resist a station being built there. It will be the second time RBKC has 'lost' a Crossrail station in the borough.

You are welcome to copy/paste the above into Microsoft Word as a basis of your objection/further objection.

Please remember to 'Save as' from Word into .pdf format to upload for the decision making committee.

fastinternet@yahoo.com

Pond House Residents' Association

The John Keys Community Centre

Next to 48-63 Pond House

Pond Place

Chelsea

SW3 6QS

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