A whole series of public consultations is taking place on the Old Oak area (north of Wormwood Scrubs).  These flow from plans to locate the HS2 and Crossrail transport hub at this location, subject to the approval of the HS2 Bill currently in Parliament.

Mayoral Development Corporation

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, has been consulting on proposals to establish a Mayoral Development Corporation for the Old Oak Opportunity Area.  This body would steer plans for development across the area, from Park Royal in the west to Wood Lane in the East.

The StQW Forum has submitted comments opposing the Mayor’s proposals, as a MDC would take away planning powers from the three London Borough Councils involved.  We share the view of Hammersmith & Fulham Council that a MDC would prove more remote from the views of local people, and less democratically accountable.  We do not share the current Mayor of London’s vision for a ‘mini-Manhattan’ at Old Oak, involving building heights of 50 storeys.  Nor do we believe that high density development at Old Oak should be allowed to damage or encroach on Wormwood Scrubs, as a Metropolitan Open Space.

QPR plans for New Queens Park

Queens Park Football Club (back in the Premier League this season) are consulting on ambitious plans for a new 40,000 stadium and associated housing and commercial development on land to the north of Wormwood Scrubs, between Old Oak Lane and Scrubs Lane.  The Club do not own a significant slice of this land, which is held by Car Giant, who have their own ideas on development.

Nevertheless, QPR has assembled a team of planners and consultants to draw up a masterplan for the site.  Details remain sketchy at this stage, but events are moving fast and masterplanners Farrells intend to submit a planning application shortly after the proposed Old Oak MDC goes live in April 2015 (if this happens – given opposition from the Borough Councils).

The StQW Forum is flagging up with Farrells the major problems of traffic congestion on the existing road network around Old Oak, and in particular Wood Lane/Scrubs Lane and the junction at North Pole Road.   We are also resisting the idea (being built into revisions to the London Plan) that Old Oak is a suitable location for a new cluster of very tall buildings and ultra high density of residential and commercial floorspace.

Overground connections at Old Oak

Meanwhile, Transport for London is also consulting on options for an interchange at Old Oak, between the Overground (West London Line and North London Line) and the HS2 and Crossrail platforms.   This is an important consultation for the StQW area.   Access to public transport in the StQW Neighbourhood is compararatively low for Inner London, as our nearest Undergrounds are at Latimer Road and White City and we have no Overground station nearer than Shepherds Bush.  Our neighbourhood was better served in the late 19th century, with a St Quintin and Wormwood Scrubs rail station (closed after bomb damage in the 1940s).

Of the 3 options set out in the TfL consultation material, we think that Option C is by far the best option.  This includes a WLL station at Hythe Road, and drops earlier ideas of a very expensive ‘Boris viaduct’ running across the northern boundary of the Scrubs.

Option C is also supported by Hammersmith & Fulham Council and by the Friends of Wormwood Scrubs.  It is important that as many people as possible respond to the consultation, which runs until 24th November.  The material is well set out, including the arguments for and against each of the 3 options.  There will also be an exhibition of the proposals at The Atrium, Burlington Danes Academy, Wood Lane, W12 0HR on Wednesday 8 October 1600-2000 and Saturday 11 October 1000-1400.  

We will also be continuing to lobby, via the StQW Neighbourhood Plan and other routes, for an additional WLL station at ‘Westway Circus’ (i.e. beneath the Westway roundabout and next to the planned underpass between Latimer Road and Imperial West.  We strongly believe that Scrubs Lane/Wood Lane. already congested before a series of major developments are constructed, will not be able to take anything like the additional traffic generated by Westfield 2, the St James development, the Stanhope scheme at the BBC, and the remaining phases of Imperial West.

The idea of a station at Western Circus is being promoted by the West London Line Group, as part of the current Parliamentary debate on the HS2 Bill.  This group has a track record of high quality technical research end evidence gathering, which has led in the past to stations being added to the West London Line.  We hope that their efforts, and those of our ward councillors, and StQW Forum members, will succeed again.