London Banter - East London Line extension construction at Silwood

On 14 Sep, 11:35, wrote:
Coming home on the train the other day, I noticed a lot of work
beginning already on construction of the East London Line extension at
Silwood.

My question is, the construction I noted was all by Somerfield Street
(he http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap...178366&A=Y&Z=1
). I thought this was going to be the path of phase 2 of the southern
extension to Clapham Junction, and that this wasn't due to be started
until phase 1 was completed.

Anyone know what's going on here?

Patrick

It's going to be a works depot for the East London Line Extension
works - though I think TfL now just calls this the East London
Railway. Additionally, and this I didn't know but it's very sensible -
it'll also serve as a works depot for the Thameslink Programme (aka
Thameslink 2000) project, which will involve constructing flyovers/
flyunders on the main approach lines to London Bridge - though this
work will not be on the immediately adjacent main line but but a bit
further north-east in Bermondsey towards London Bridge. I haven't
quite got my head round the Thameslink project or it's timescales, so
I'm not sure if these projects will overlap at all but I don't think
they will.

The so called Silwood Triangle falls within the Borough of Lewisham -
and my information comes from a planning document "Site Allocations in
Strategic Employment Locations" on their website - I quote:

-----
The Silwood Triangle will in the short to medium term be used as a
depot for the works to take place for the East London Line extension
(phase 1 to Forest Hill and West Croydon) and for the Thameslink 2000
project, and will therefore not be available for development for
housing or mixed use commercial and housing. Options for these uses
are not considered realistic at the present time.
-----

In addition there's a Planning Decisions document that refers to
supplementary permission granted to London Underground for "external
lighting at the Silwood Triangle and the New Cross Gate Depot work
sites" [2].
Incidentally I think London Underground Ltd is referred to (as opposed
to another TfL entity such as London Rail) as various original
planning permissions were applied for in their name.

There is also a newly built car pound used, AIUI, by various London
Boroughs on the Silwood Triangle site [3]. Before anything could
happen on the Siilwood Triangle site it first had to be treated to get
rid of the invasive and destructive Japanese knotweed.

----------
[1] LB Lewisham - Site Allocations in Strategic Employment Locations
(PDF)
(see page 18 / PDF page 3)
http://preview.tinyurl.com/2zq5gr

[2] LB Lewisham - Planning Service - Schedule of Decisions Determined
between [dates in May 2005] (PDF)
(see PDF page 8)
http://preview.tinyurl.com/2y9wzx

[3] LB Lambeth - Vehicle clamps and removals
http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/Services/T...reets/Parking/
ClampsRemovals.htm#pound