The Londonist reports a Boris bike under an HGV

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Sophie Talbot

Posted on The Londonist yesterday:

Boris Bike Accident In Clerkenwell

BY  · FEBRUARY 1, 2012 AT 10:05 AM · 5 COMMENTS ·

A Boris bike was involved in an accident with a HGV on Clerkenwell Road this morning.

Reports on Twitter suggest that the cyclist has emerged relatively unharmed; we’ll update this post when we get further details. But the rear part of the bike itself, as shown in this picture, was mangled beneath the wheels of the vehicle.

The incident took place near the junction with Goswell Road,  close to the location where architect Rebecca Goosen was knocked off her bike and killed by a cement mixer in 2009. A quick glance at the map of road deaths in London suggests that this stretch of Clerkenwell Road is particularly lethal for cyclists, with a number of other riders losing their lives along it.  In fact the Clerkenwell Road/Farringdon Road junction was included in the Tour du Danger ride last November, which sought to highlight the capital’s most dangerous cycling blackspots.

The accident is among the first serious ones involving the cycle hire scheme since its launch in July 2010 (discounting the time when a careless motorist ploughed into a docking station in Shoreditch) and is likely to reignite the debate about whether HGVs should be allowed in central London during rush hour.

Posted in Road Safety in Kings Cross | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

How much does Kings Cross station refurbishment cost?

Posted on February 1, 2012 by William Perrin

The extension to Kings Cross station is taking shape on the West side.  As with any new piece of architecture there’s a fair bit of hagiography in the coverage – it mainly boils down to ‘aaaaaaawwwwww, new station, priddy’ or ‘corrrrrr look at the arches on that’ as Network Rail PRs’ exclusive sneak previews drip out and visitors post pics from their camera phones.  No doubt there will be some Harry Potter themed PR in due course.

It’s fine to praise a good looking piece of architecture and I would never stint in my praise for the trades that do the fine work.   But as Terminal 5 fans found out it’s the real working experience that counts not what it looks like.  Also of course in today’s straightened times one always has to ask ‘How much did that cost?’ and it’s corollary ‘How much was it supposed to cost?’.

Large capital intensive projects have a tendency to run over budget.  In modern public sector construction the budget is just one control factor – time is often more important (see the Jubilee Line extension).  Network Rail often buys ‘outcomes’, rather than building to a strict budget.  So when you can see you are going to over-run your original budget you just increase the budget, it’s the outcome the counts, instead of just stopping building and doing something much less ambitious.  As we saw in the ludicrous saga of their own offices in the Eastern Range it was more important for Network Rail to have nice offices to sit in than build to a budget or just stop building and wasting public money.

So how much has the Kings Cross refurbishment cost and what did they originally say it was going to cost?  Well it’s very hard to say, the budget for the Kings cross refurbishment is like a bar of soap.  I asked the Office of Rail Regulation (as Network Rail is a monopoly and can set prices for using the tracks it is regulated by the government).   Over several months (the ORR aren’t quick to reply) i finally got to the Kafkaesque dialogue below where i try to pin down what the work was originally slated to cost and what it is now expected to turn out at making like for like comparisons.

Local people with long memories will recall Ian Fry (a Network Rail director) I think saying at a public meeting in Kings Cross that the budget was ‘around £400m’ – he seems to be talking about the ‘enhancement work’ –  probably putting on the glass bubble and reconfiguring the passenger flows in 2005 thought to cost £280m.  In other correspondence ORR tell me that Network Rail planned to spend £374m in 2010-11 prices.  But the out turn of £516 million below includes a fair bit of extra work.  It seems that the full scheme now in train was originally slated to cost £485m, now a £31m or 6% overspend.  Something here doesn’t quite add up as we know from DfT that their own offices alone overspent by as much as £60m.  Maybe heroic efficiencies were made in the scheme.  But given this degree of opacity we’ll never know.  And remember folks – Network Rail said that they couldn’t afford a pedestrian bridge over the throat of the station which they costed at a bloated £20m.

I’d welcome any suggestions as to how to get to the bottom of this and would challenge journalists writing up puff pieces about the architecture in the interests of balance to dig deep into original and out turn like for like budgets. You can build a hell of a lot of primary schools for this money or ten royal yachts.

The recent Panorama on Network Rail’s questionable transparency and cost control was in part driven by me revealing this nonsense to them privately.

Email Dialogue with ORR (my questions in italics, will publish full dialogue in a pdf in due course):

a) the original budget for the kings cross refurbishment as first revealed to you

June 2003 Network Rail business plan, £ 624 240 000 in money of the day.

b) what was the first budget ORR approved or otherwise signed off on

The first formal submission relating to the current scheme November 2005, dealt with the enhancement element only for the works at £280M.

c) what is now (December 2011) regarded at this advanced stage as the stable budget for the project

The first submission to the ORR for the full scheme, enhancements and renewals, in October 2006 confirmed removal from the enhancements element of the LUL contribution for the Northern Ticket Hall of £40M, and confirmed the renewal element to be £180M, i.e. a total forecast of £420M at 2005 prices. It had some exclusions and reflected work scope at the time, (at GRIP Stage 4). Uplifting this figure to current prices using RPI adds £65M to take the total to £485M.

The ORR approved figures for CP4 submitted in 2008, which were published in the CP4 Delivery Plan dated 31 March 2009. Hence total figures are CP3 at £170M plus CP4 at £329M. Uplifting this figure to current prices using RPI adds £17M to take the total to £516M.

d) what ORR’s forecast out turn is against this budget or what NR have told you they will turn out at

The current outturn forecast, exclusive of third party / non RAB funded works is £514M at current prices. This increases to £547M with the addition of additional third party / non RAB funded works.

Posted in Kings Cross Station Refurbishment | 5 Comments

Camden Council wants to support your greening projects

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Sophie Talbot

Inspired by our own John Ashwell’s initiative to plant hundreds of trees in the north east quadrant of King’s Cross, Camden Council have put out a plea to anyone that wants to green a little bit of King’s Cross on the Camden side.

King’s Cross falls in the top 10% of neighbourhoods in the entire country that face deprivation specifically because of lack of access to open or green spaces. There will be some green in the new King’s Cross Central, but not nearly enough. If you have an idea – no matter how small or impossible it might seem, contact the Green Camden zone initiative for support. They can offer resources and materials.

When greening small areas of inner city London, it’s best to let your imagination run riot. Don’t be put off by ownership issues – just because an unloved area that depresses your local community is in private hands doesn’t mean you can’t transform it into a green oasis to put a smile on your neighbours faces.

John Ashwell had no reason to stick his oar in when it came to planting trees in the streets in his area of King’s Cross. But he cared. He cared enough to raise the money from neighbours and local businesses. He cared enough to take the lead role negotiating with the council to match every penny he raised pound for pound, and to undertake all the surveying, planting and future maintenance of the trees.

John’s inspiring and completely voluntary work doesn’t end there. He is one of the three founders of King’s Cross Community Projects whose vertical landscape project takes creating green walls to a whole new level. The combined art installation and garden will be sited on private land – part owned by a major housing association and part by a commercial   office space developer. That hasn’t stopped the project – John and his pals wanted to transform their community and they are about to do just that. And they raised the funds via Islington Council so it can be done.

So, if you have an idea to make some space near you greener for the benefit of all your neighbours- no matter how mad it might seem – contact Camden Council.

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Camden Council Leader in live web chat

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Sophie Talbot

Cllr Nasim Ali, Leader of Camden Council, took local democracy another step forward this afternoon by taking part in a live web chat on the wearecamden.org website. A number of issues relevant to the KX area were asked by various participants, and Cllr Ali gave the following answers:

Q How will LBC make sure the consultation to be done by TfL this year into removing the dangerous gyratory at KX is inclusive, transparent and truly effective? It’d be so easy for it to result in another ineffectual report on the shelf.

A It’s really important that the study and consultation engages with the right people. This issue can’t be buried away once completed. Both TfL, Camden and Islington need to look at the findings and work up a solution that benefits all road users.
Our culture and environment scrutiny committee has been looking into cycling in King’s Cross and I’m sure the chair Councillor Simpson and the other committee members would value input from you as to how the consultation can be as inclusive as possible.

Q Given the number of people that are going to pass thro as well as stay in the KX area during the Olympics, what will LBC do to ensure pedestrian and cyclist safety in the area given it’s so very dangerous

A Regarding your question about ensuring pedestrian and cycle safety during the olympics, I’ve personally been involved in meetings with TFL and Locog regarding pedestrian and public safety. I can assure you that plans are being developed to address these issues. Work to improve two of the junctions that we have concerns about will be completed before the Olympics.

Q The ‘improvement’ to the junction between EustonRd/PentonvilleRd/YorkWay will make the junction potentially more dangerous for cyclists. Given the number of fatailities at that spot, would you be willing to press for separate cycle lanes before the Olympics to avoid anymore casualities?

(Time ran out before answer could be given)

Q As a local resident, I just wanted to ask what the Kings Cross area was going to be like during the Olympics?

A King’s Cross will be a very exciting place during the Olympics. As you may be aware, most people will be travelling through St Pancras and using the Javelin train to get to stratford.

We will also have street dressing around the area and on some buildings, including projections.

We will also have the media hub in Bloomsbury where 20,000 members of the world’s press will be staying. We are well aware that this brings with it great opportunities and some challenges to manage the potential disruption.

You can keep up to date with plans around the Olympics on our websitehttp://www.camden.gov.uk/2012.

Q Tenants and residents in Elm Village are very concerned at the lack of information and plans for the Camley Street area. The road itself is scruffy and run down, and heavily used by the industrial estate very close to family housing.

This is such an important route from the centre of the borough to Kings Cross and the new developments (and soon the new town hall and leisure facilities)  – for residents on foot, families, cyclists and others – that it should be a priority to improve.

Elm Village Tenants and Residents Association want to work with the Council and others on this. What can you do to help us work closely with you to discuss and develop environmentally and community friendly improvements and plans for Camley Street?

A I’ll ask officers to look into the issues at Elm Village for you. I don’t have the information to hand at the moment.

Q What priority does the Council give to private tenants (who are now the largest group of tenants in Camden) and do you think the Council should continue to fund the Camden Federation of Private Tenants ?

A We give private tenants top priority and we will continue to fund the Camden Federation of Private Tenants.  One of the difficulties that private tenants face is the issue of rogue landlords and this is just one of the issues we are trying to tackle.

Q 1.The Regent’s Canal is 200 years old this year – how is Camden going to celebrate its very own iconic waterway?

2.The Regent’s Canal is only 1.5 metres wide in some places and at peak times can have over 800 users (including 500 cyclists) passing through in an hour. Pedestrians have priority on the towpath and the canal is enjoyed for its heritage and tranquillity. British Waterways runs the Two Tings campaign to encourage safe and friendly towpath use. What is Camden doing to provide safer and more attractive routes for cyclists commuting East/West?

3.In 2010 Camden Council commissioned a Green CRISP report for a Regent’s Canal Alternative Route between Regent’s Park and York Way. How many of these recommendations have been implemented so far or are committed in your future plans?

A I will ask officers to look into your questions about the 200 year celebration for Regent’s Canal and implementation of recommendations from the report. I walk through Regent’s Canal quite a lot with my family (and have done for years) and think it is one of the finest places in Camden. I even used to holiday on the barges when I was a child! As Mayor of Camden I held many fundraising events on one of the barges which I think was called My Fair Lady.

Cllr Ali ended the chat, signing off with,  “I have to go to another engagement now.  Thank you to everyone who took part – it’s the first time I have tried this and it was very enlightening and enjoyable.  There have been a few questions where I have asked Matthew to follow up and get back to you.  It was really good to see the diverse range of questions and the mix of people asking; this is definitely something we’d look into doing again in the future.  Thank you”

Posted in Current Affairs, Democracy and Elections, Road Safety in Kings Cross | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Living sculpture – what do you think?

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Sophie Talbot

Local charitable trust, Kings Cross Community Projects, ran two consultation events earlier this week seeking feedback on the proposed design for their living sculpture (aka vertical garden) to be installed on Wharfdale Road this summer. They’d like to thank everyone that attended and to invite further views.

The group have produced a potted history of the project, available for download as a Powerpoint presentation, and an online slideshow detailing how the design has been developed over the past five years. Feedback forms asking for your views can be downloaded in a Word or in a pdf version. Click here for details of the presentation, slideshow and feedback forms.

Please get your comments to KCCP by Friday 3 February.

 

Posted in Arts and Entertainment, Green Wall Project, Wildlife and Nature | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Kings Cross cycling safety campaign – Ken Livingstone interview and Caroline Pidgeon questions to Mayor

Posted on January 30, 2012 by William Perrin

Our campaign on road safety in Kings Cross continues to attract cross party support and the themes we have helped articulate find wide resonance with Mayoral candidates.  We try here to remain non-Partisan, although that isn’t always easy.  I am aware that if it weren’t for an impending Mayoral contest we might not get as much airtime.  But we have been active on these issues for many years and the most recent round of activism was triggered by Deep Lee’s death, the timing of which was outside my control.

Here’s a round up of recent developments.

Kenneth Livingstone (Labour Mayoral candidate, former Mayor) has featured the corporate manslaughter issues we raised in his major interview with the Guardian today, using Bow as an example. This demonstrates how high cycling sfaety issues, including the prospect of corporate manslaughter inquiries are now in the Mayoral race (my emphasis below):

Q: Would you keep the blue down the road?

A: At the moment it is most probably more dangerous than safe, because people come into the blue lane and they assume there’s some sort of safety. The regulations on it vary from here to there. Suddenly it stops and starts on the other side of the road. Two cyclists who were killed at the Bow roundabout junction – there’s a classic example of what’s wrong. Transport for London spent ages negotiating with local cycling groups to put in cycling safety measures. Those went up to the mayor’s office. TfL specifically said this will not be safe for cyclists without these measures. The reply was: “The mayor’s priority is traffic flow.” Now they are in a great panic because of the police investigation. There could be a charge of corporate manslaughter. That’s the worst example

Q: Someone [benbro] raised this on the blog. He wants to know if you think there’s a strong case for a corporate manslaughter charge.

A: I think there is. It’s more obvious with the captain of the Italian cruise ship, but here Transport for London officials told the mayor’s office cyclists would be at risk if they didn’t put these measures in. They were turned down in order to prioritise – when Johnson says traffic flow, he means more speed for cars.

What we’ll do, we’ll get Jenny Jones, who was my cycling adviser and Green assembly member and she’s a candidate for mayor, she’ll be on this. She’ll be in charge of driving forward the cycling agenda. The TfL board is going to be chaired by deputy mayor, Val Shawcross. And we will prioritise putting in the safety measures that Johnson has put out.

Caroline Pidgeon AM (Lib Dem), Chair of the GLA transport committee has asked a series of excellent pointed questions of the Mayor, the answers to which I await with great interest:

Junction at King’s Cross (1)

Question No: 313 / 2012 Caroline Pidgeon

Does the York Way/Pentonville Road/Grays Inn Road junction comply with TfL’s 2005 London Cycling Design Standards with regards to lane and carriageway width?

Junction at King’s Cross (2)

Question No: 314 / 2012 Caroline Pidgeon

If the junction at York Way/Pentonville Road/Grays Inn Road does not comply with TfL’s standards when did you first become aware of this fact?

Junction at King’s Cross (3)

Question No: 315 / 2012 Caroline Pidgeon

If the junction at York Way/Pentonville Road/Grays Inn Road does not comply with TfL’s standards please explain why TfL has failed to act to make the junction compliant with its own standards?

Junction at King’s Cross (4)

Question No: 316 / 2012 Caroline Pidgeon

Please explain what correspondence TfL has had with the Metropolitan Police about the compliance of this junction at York Way/Pentonville Road/Grays Inn Road?

Junction at King’s Cross (4)

Question No: 317 / 2012 Caroline Pidgeon

Please explain if there are other junctions on the TfL road network that are not compliant with TfL’s own standards and when they will be rectified?

Lobbying by not least by Jennette Arnold AM (Labour) and local Cllrs has led to a commitment from Tfl to do a review of the gyratory.

Jenny Jones AM (Green) continues to support local cycling safety through her attendance at local protest rides and more.

We continue to be indebted to our local Councillors Paul Convery (Labour, Islington) and Paul Braithewaite (LibDem Camden) for their unstinting support not least to make it clear that TfL simply can’t blame the boroughs.

Posted in Bad Gyrations KX Campaign, Road Safety in Kings Cross | Leave a comment

KX Development Forum meets 7 Feb

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Sophie Talbot

process for becoming a neighbourhood forumThe next meeting of the Forum is from 7:00 to 9:00 on Thursday 9 February in Committee Room 2 of Camden Town Hall.

At the meeting the Forum will discuss what is now known about:

  • The desirability and feasibility of turning the Forum into an official neighbourhood forum under the planning framework of the Localism Act.
  • The use of the Section 106 funds from the King’s Cross Central and King’s Cross Station developments (to provide the Maiden Lane Station study and the York Way improvements, for example).

The meeting will not need to discuss the application to build a hotel at 1-11 Euston Road (opposite King’s Cross Station). The Camden planning officers thought that it should be rejected for many reasons, so they exercised their delegated powers to reject it without referring it to the Development Control Committee.

However, the planning officers, and subsequently the Development Control Committee, accepted the planning applications about King’s Cross Square. In its response to the applications the Forum had requested that the Committee defer approval until the plans were complete and co-ordinated with others, for the rest of the Square (by different architects) and for pedestrians and cyclists. Hurrying to approve the plans appears odd, as work on the Square is not scheduled to start for another year. Nonetheless the Committee did so, having heard from the Forum for four minutes and from the planning officers (seeming to speak of the plans as partly their own) and the applicants for forty. The report of the planning officers is here. The web cast of the Development Control Committee meeting is here.

Posted in Kings Cross N1C, railwayslands, Kings Cross Station Refurbishment, Planning, Licensing and Regulation, Weblogs | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

4 York Way in the news again…

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Stephan Schulte

4 York WayThe Bulletin Board recently received the following information from Dave Fordham, Service Manager of Trading Standards and I thought it would be of interest to all local residents.

On 10 May 2011 DJD Retail trading as Bookshop at 4 York Way, N1 was inspected by Islington Council Trading Standards and Licensing team. 377 DVDs and 21 videos were seized.  The sole officer of the company, David Darbo, had previously been provided with advice about obtaining a sex shop licence and  the provisions of the Video Recordings Act 2010. Samples of the DVDs were  examined by the BBFC.  One was found to be classified R18 and the rest were found to be unclassified.  The shop did not have a sex shop licence.  

On 19 January Mr Darbo was sentenced at Highbury Magistrates Court; receiving a fine of £3,150 and £1464 costs. DJD Retail Ltd was fined £100 and £15 costs. 

The shop has now closed and Islington no longer have any unlicensed sex shops.

According to David, the place is now up for sale, however Trading Standards continues to keep an eye on it!

Posted in Local businesses, Planning, Licensing and Regulation | Tagged | Leave a comment