Network Rail submits plans for footbridge over Manor Road level crossing (From Your Local Guardian)
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Network Rail submits plans for footbridge over Manor Road level crossing
11:41am Friday 19th March 2010 in
Plans for the new North Sheen footbridge are moving forward at last – to the delight of the area’s headteacher and councillors.
The designs for the bridge, which will put an end to years of misery for pedestrians using the level crossing in Manor Road, have finally been submitted to the council for planning permission. If successful it would see a new safer pedestrian crossing installed above the tracks.
Penny Cox, headteacher at nearby Holy Trinity CE Primary School, said the bridge would make a huge difference to pupils’ journeys to and from school.
She said: “We’ve heard about the plans but we haven’t actually seen them yet.
“We can’t wait for it to happen. We are very much in favour of a new footbridge as it encourages parents to walk as they will be able to predict how long the journey will take.
“It’s great from a safety point of view as well. Obviously walking is something we encourage the children to do and this will really facilitate that.”
Network Rail, which is planning to install the new bridge, agreed, in principle, to foot the bill for the bridge last May – after years of relentless lobbying by campaigners.
In a supporting statement for the footbridge application, the coompany said the barriers for the level crossing were closed for about 30 minutes in every hour and there had been dangerous misuse through people trying to access the crossing while the barriers were lowered.
Network Rail also said the introduction of a footbridge would remedy the safety problem and that by linking the two sides of the station it would be able to “improve public safety by providing continuous access over the railway”.
MP for Richmond Park, Susan Kramer, who has been one of the driving forces lobbying the rail operator, welcomed the news that plans had finally been submitted.
She said: “We regularly see people jumping the barriers rather than wait for several trains to pass, and it will be such a relief to the community that a safer solution is now in sight.”
North Richmond Councillor Celia Hodges added: “It is thanks to the residents’ campaigning that we can now see firm designs for the footbridge.
“I am pleased that Network Rail has listened and will finally provide passengers with a safer route to and from the station.”
A spokesman for Network Rail said it was hopeful the bridge would be in place later this year.
He added: “We have been in close contact with the community and the MP for some time and we’re really pleased to be moving ahead with the bridge.”
Comments(6)
EdwinaWaugh
says...
4:54pm Fri 19 Mar 10
A. Reader
says...
4:58pm Fri 19 Mar 10
Phillip Taylor
says...
2:08pm Sat 20 Mar 10
As one of the Conservative councillors between 2002-6 who campaigned hard for this new footbridge at the time, I would point out that it was the Liberals who took it away.
The Liberals are now trying to make good the bad mistake they made and just show themselves to be complete opportunists whi don't care about the people in Manor Road.
The orginal Rail Track managers were wholly responsible for the delays and their 'don't care' attitude towards the people of Manor Road remains a national disgrace. They were helped by a complacent LibDem authority run by Cllr Williams and Cllr Lourie until 2002. At every attempt to get this footbridge built, the authorities did all they could to block things with their overbearing arrogance towards the electorate.
I welcome the current proposals, late as they are, but it is the Liberals who must take the blame for doing nothing- they should be kicked out of office on 6th May.
I am not a candidate in the North Richmond ward this May, but the 3 new Tory candidates, Katharine Robinson, Lisa Blakemore and Richard Montague are fully aware of the hindrances the LibDems and others have put up to Conservative attempts to get this new bridge and it is no good now for the MP Mrs Kramer trying to take credit for something she could have done years ago had she wanted to.
Phillip Taylor
Conservative councillor,North Richmond ward 2002-6
A. Reader
says...
5:02pm Sat 20 Mar 10
Let's hope our planners have the common sense not to put this new footbridge tooooo close to Manor Road or yobs will just use it as a platform (literally) to tag the adjacent flank walls of houses.
peterd49
says...
8:06pm Sun 21 Mar 10
Why is Network Rail building a new bridge in isolation of the original half bridge, which itself will need rebuilding in the near future, as anybody who uses the bridge can testify to. Cost was one of the reasons given, to a letter of mine, for not building a full bridge, when NR refurbished the original, so now we are going to get two.
Network Rail needs to do some joined up thinking and build the bridge on the same side as the station. The steps could go over the cabinets that were placed on the original path, no consultation when that was done, and build a link to the station.
Rather than the planned option that will mean any body with a pushchair, heavy suitcase, or the elderly going to the station, will have to negotiate two lots of steps.
As I said at the start I am not a NIMBY, as this new bridge does not affect me as it will some of the residence in Manor Park, but really is this best plan all those brains at Network Rail can come up with? Are Susan Kramer MP and Councillor Celia Hodges genuinely happy with this solution? When the new bridge is built can we have a time frame for the original bridge’s repair, rebuild or refurbishment?
As one of the contributors have said I will believe in this bridge when I see it, in the mean time can’t Network Rail do something about the timing of the barriers that are closed for an unnecessary amount of time before the trains go by. This being one of the misplaced reasons frustrated people “misuses…the crossing while the barriers are lowered”.
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Crossing campaign: An artist’s impression of the new North Sheen footbridge
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fleggdupree says...
2:51pm Fri 19 Mar 10