London Banter - View Single Post

John B · October 9th 06, 12:32 PM posted to uk.transport.london

wrote:
Unfortunately, assorted local NIMBYs are being troublesome about the
Camden Town redevelopment

IIRC the main problem they had was that the proposed development was
out of scale (and it certainly looks it in the first picture on the
alwaystouchout link, less so in the second).

I'd disagree - I think the LUL plans would have taken a pretty scabby
part of London and provided a nice new focal point, taking some of the
focus away from the hordes of weed dealers, goths and Japanese
teenagers...

Camden Town really needs
a Mile End style flat, open platform interchange, with the two
northbound branches sharing one platform, and the other platform having
trains going southwards from both sides.

Yes, this would be the ideal final layout - although a Highbury-style
interchange (ie the same cross-platform layout but in tubes) would be
functionally equivalent if a total rebuild and realignment to match
Mile End were unfeasible. I'm 95% certain that the plans involve the
latter.

I suppose the reason above
ground demolition would be "needed" is access and, maybe, to pay for
the whole redevelopment in the form of property sale & rental.

Also to provide an interim station on the Buck Street market site - but
you're right, the reason they want to build a big thing above the
station is so they can make back some of the cost of the redevelopment,
which seems fair enough.

--
John Band
john at johnband dot org
www.johnband.org