James Small-Edwards, the London Assembly Member for West Central, said he will continue to press TfL to do the works
A London Assembly Member has aired his frustration with Transport for London’s slow progress upgrading a West London station.
James Small-Edwards, the Assembly Member for West Central, said he has repeatedly attempted to press Transport for London (TfL) to improve Shepherd’s Bush Market station, though to no avail.
The site is deemed to be in need of modernisation and a clean-up, with a local campaign group in particular pushing for works to take place. A repainting of a bridge connecting Shepherd’s Bush Market with Goldhawk Road is also being called for.
Mr Small-Edwards said he has been putting these concerns to TfL “for a considerable amount of time”.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Despite repeated attempts, progress has been frustratingly slow, which is disappointing given the impact this is having on local residents.”
A TfL spokesperson previously said some works, such as cleaning graffiti off a bridge, had been completed, adding that it is working with Hammersmith and Fulham Council to deliver further improvements.
The local authority said it is working with the community and TfL to improve the bridge, and that it is hoping the transport body will fund works to Shepherd’s Bush Market station.
The LDRS has reported previously on residents’ frustrations with TfL over a lack of work to the station or the bridge over Uxbridge Road.
The transport authority had committed to repainting the crossing by the end of March, but as this deadline came and went, there was little sign of much having been done.
Noor, a Shepherd’s Bush resident who heads up the Fix Uxbridge Road campaign group, said the delays were “embarrassing and unacceptable”, and that TfL should not make commitments only to quietly downgrade them.
Since then the LDRS has been made aware of lobbying by Mr Small-Edwards on behalf of locals to push for works to be done.
He said: “I have been in contact with local councillors, who are taking the matter seriously, and I share residents’ concerns about the effect that these degraded public spaces are having on the neighbourhood.
“A neglected public realm can often undermine community confidence and contribute to antisocial behaviour and crime, which is why I will continue to press TfL to urgently deliver these improvements residents are crying out for.”
A spokesperson for Fix Uxbridge Road said: “We want to work positively with TfL to make Shepherd’s Bush Market station visually pleasing, modern and accessible for everyone.
“Residents have valuable local knowledge, and by working together we can create a station that we can be proud of and better serves its residents which also includes step-free access for wheelchair users, parents with pushchairs, people with heavy luggage and everyone who relies on public transport.
“We hope TfL will engage with the community and the council so we can help find practical solutions to modernise and improve the station visually and accessibly. TfL has spent around £120 million redeveloping South Kensington station, which was already in far better condition, while Shepherd’s Bush Market station has been overlooked for decades.”
Emma Keeling, 54, a Shepherd’s Bush resident and wheelchair user, said the lack of step-free access means her partner has to push her to Wood Lane, an extra 15 minutes’ journey.
She said: “Across London, only around a third of Tube stations are wheelchair accessible, and in Shepherd’s Bush the situation is even worse.
“There are five Tube stations serving the area, yet only one, Wood Lane, is step-free. Like Wood Lane, Shepherd’s Bush Market is an above-ground station, as are Goldhawk Road and White City, making accessibility improvements far more practical than at deep-level stations such as Shepherd’s Bush Central Line station.
“Access to the platforms at Shepherd’s Bush Market station is via two steep flights of stairs – installing lifts wouldn’t just benefit wheelchair users, it would also benefit anyone with mobility issues, people with prams or those with heavy luggage, and many others who currently struggle to access the station.”
When asked for comment a TfL spokesperson said things were in the same place as when the LDRS ran a previous story two months ago, and that they are still waiting on the borough to confirm its plans.
A Hammersmith and Fulham Council spokesperson said: “Shepherds Bush Market Tube station serves as a gateway to Uxbridge Road and the wider area – as such, we want it to be a pleasant place for Hammersmith and Fulham residents and visitors. While we are working with the local community and TfL to deliver improvements to the bridge, we also want to see urgent improvements to the station.
“We have agreed with TfL that the council will repaint the bridge, and we hope TfL will reconsider and fund the repainting of the station. We hope both of these can progress soon.”
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