The formal Crossrail 2 consultation was launched a few days ago, with the biggest local question being whether to build the station in Baham or Tooting Broadway. However, I could see that the consultation information did not answer all of the questions that residents had been asking via my www.BalhamOrTooting.org.uk survey.
Therefore myself and Richard Tracey (your local GLA member) wrote immediately to the Transport for London team and I’m pleased to say that I have now received additional information that I summarise below on the differences between the two stations.
Tooting Broadway station
- a greater economic boost
- enhanced rail connectivity
- a larger building site (similar to the Crossrail site at Tottenham Court Road)
- with the build disruption lasting longer, ie 7-8 years
- and a construction cost which is £500m more than Balham.
Balham station
- a smaller building site (similar to the Crossrail site at Bond Street)
- construction disruption lasting for 5-6 years
- and with some loss of green space during construction (ie the access shaft on the Bolingbroke Grove side of Wandsworth Common).
Both projects involve local buildings being lost (e.g. potentially Waitrose in Balham, Sainsburys in Tooting), but there will be more of them in Tooting, since the works site will have to be larger. I have asked for further information on this point, albeit any plans are provisional at this stage.
I hope you now feel able to give your view on this crucial local decision and would encourage you to submit it via the public consultation and my survey at www.BalhamOrTooting.org.uk if you haven’t already.