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| Sketch for the proposed tube station at Northumberland Park by bruce castle news |
The following is an edited extract from a recent blog by Tottenham's Bally Studios. You can read the full post here. For more info about Bally Studios Rehearsal and Recording Studios go here.
"Bally Studios recently celebrated 7 years of trading in Tottenham Hale, and, as co
founder, I have been based in the area for over 8 years. In 2003, I
was living in Highbury and Islington, a few mins walk away from the
tube station. At the time, my partner and I were paying £798 a
month for a one bedroom flat. ...
Despite having some of the best bars in London on our doorstep, a
limited budget meant we didn't have the disposable income to frequent
them. With heavy heart, and craving more space, we decided to
relocate, and look further afield.
Our
new home was based in Foyle Rd, a few mins walk away from
Northumberland Park Train Station. Over the next few years of living
in this area, it became obvious that many other people living in the
area had similar reasons for being based there as we had. Young
families, priced out of surrounding areas, relocated for the extra
space that their budget could accommodate in Tottenham. Parking
spaces were plentiful , a refreshing change. Tottenham marshes was
based on our doorstep, and we grew so attached to the area, that when
it came time to start a business for ourselves, we didn't hesitate to
choose Tottenham as its location.
So
when we saw a recent Twitter post by Bruce Castle News, highlighting a question that Joanne McCartney had put to London Mayor BorisJohnson about looking into the possibility that he “ask TfL to conduct a feasibility study for extending the Victoria Line to Northumberland Park” it was a subject that both appealed to our
emotions, as well as one that, we felt, made sense, economically.
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| Diagram of proposed Victoria Line extension as imagined by Technical Slip |
All
tube trains currently go to Northumberland Park anyway, as this is
where they are cleaned. There is a train-wash, like a car wash for
tube trains, that can be clearly seen by people driving along
Watermead Way. The tracks are already laid, but at present there is
no platform and station facilities. Joanne McCartney shared the
same hopes as many local residents, that Northumberland Park Train
Station could be transformed into a tube station. Within minutes of
us echoing her sentiments, Justin Hinchcliffe of @TottenhamTories
chirped in, that it had been “first proposed by us on 2001”. A
quick internet search shows that local Labour MP, David Lammy felt
that "the important thing is to deliver an extension on the
Victoria Line sometime soon - people desperately need it in what is a
deprived part of London."
So
both the Tories and the Labour party, at a local level, seem to be in
favour of it. Justin Hinchcliffe of @TottenhamTories tweeted
“we should make a united, cross-party push for
it”, a sentiment we agreed with. Ken
Livingstone, in 2003, was vocal for his support too, and Boris
Johnson has backed a regeneration plan that promises ‘up to 10,000
new high quality homes and over 5,000 new jobs’ for Tottenham by
2025, as well as publicly backing Tottenham Hotspurs plans to build a
new 56,000 all seater stadium next to their current stadium...
But as of yet, the official line from TFL
is “London Underground has already evaluated the business case to extend the Victoria line to Northumberland Park. The outcome (weighing up the benefits, demand and costs) indicated that the investment would not represent value for money and could not be justified when compared alongside other projects which would deliver greater benefits to London [May 2011]”.
On 7th August, 2011, The UK was shocked by the riots in
Tottenham, and the image of Allied Carpets, burning well into the
night, was a catalyst that created more rioting over the next week.
I remember watching it myself. I had, a couple of months earlier,
moved onto the property ladder, and I was having a house party that
night to celebrate purchasing my first home. Party guests who
understood my affiliation with Tottenham brought the matter to my
attention, and about 20-30 of us, with glasses of wine and beer in
hand, watched the footage of the riots on TV, with great sadness,
until about 3am. When everyone had left, I stayed up until 8am
watching the footage. I went into work the next day, at 11am,
witnessing, first hand, the widespread looting that was happening
the next morning at the Tottenham Hale retail park. The image of
Allied Carpets ablaze, that night, was the enduring image, for me, of
the London riots. When we were soundproofing the studios on it's
first day, in 2005, I bought a job lot of carpet that was frayed at
the edges, for 50% off, from that very store. It was symbolic for me,
that on the night I was celebrating stepping onto the property
ladder, the very building that put me on the way, was burning to the
ground.
The
empty shell of this building lies 850m from Northumberland Park Train
station. What a fine legacy it would be if Northumberland park were
to have it's own Tube station. How are people meant to feel proud
about their own community when transport for London openly state that
it is not worthy of investment, while other, more financially
affluent areas, are given mass funding? The government is not meant
to be investing in areas that are already financially strong.
That is what the private sector is for. By investing now, it will
help to revitalize an area, and hopefully prevent some of the scenes
we saw last year. This area helped me to create financial stability
for myself. I am sure it can do the same for others.
We
sincerely hope that TFL reconsider their stance, and we hope that the
mayor for London, and the Government, both at a local and national
level, put their support behind this worthy scheme. It has our full
support."
Bally Studios
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