TfL submit plans for 619 homes by Kidbrooke station

Transport for London have submitted plans for 619 homes in a new development to the north of the station named Kidbrooke Station Square.

The proposal includes a nursery and shops, as well as a new bus interchange and is in partnership with Notting Hill Genesis. The scheme will bring Greenwich Council £2.66 million in Community Infrastructure Levy income plus hundreds of thousands more in New Homes Bonus cash from central Government

The plans were first covered on this site back in 2015 when early plans for a 20 floor tower emerged.

This site is immediately to the south of Homebase which is closing on 14th December. There is speculation that is next in line for development given the size of land and proximity to the station.

Upon Greenwich Council advice the colour scheme has been altered from a variety of colours to predominantly grey and biege to appear less intrusive from Blackheath and integrate with Kidbrooke Village. There’s a real danger that a dreary grey mass will now appear on the horizon – little different from the old estate just to the south.

Grey is not inoffensive. It’s often soul sapping and bleak.

The development is also solely boxes without flair – and many are squat. We have monotony of colour and monotony of form.

Renders are the usual – glossy and on blue sky days. But on a grey Monday morning?

Splashes of colour are present at street level – but not on towers seen from miles around.

TfL attempt to raise cash

TfL are under pressure to develop land to generate income after a cut of £700 million a year in funding announced by George Osborne in 2015 now taking full effect.

In addition, from 2021, £500m raised annually in London from Vehicle Excise Duty will be sent to central Government and only  spent outside the capital. Money for public transport is supposed to fill that gap. Even Tories on the TfL GLA meeting panel seemed taken aback by that one when I watched a meeting. The effects could be devastating.

One wonders if central Government are trying to break TfL to get at Mayor Sadiq Khan – but at what cost to the nation’s economy? TfL are far from perfect of course, but this is a very risky game.

4,900 homes are also coming at Kidbrooke Village to the south of this TfL scheme. The station is being rebuilt as part of the scheme, with plans recently submitted.

Despite this, any increase in rail capacity could be small. As covered last year, under franchise plans currently ongoing (and delayed) the Kidbrooke and Eltham line could see just four extra carriages by 2024 – an uplift of 5%.

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A new bus interchange can be seen:

The 178 bus serving the area will become double decker next week.

Plans will be decided by Greenwich Council’s Planning Board in 2019.

Click here to see all documents.

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