Minutes:
David Hignett, Chris Lloyd and Victoria Constable from Network Rail were at the assembly and to talk about the proposed changes to the station and the installation of the lifts. The assembly attendees were shown a presentation relating to the plans and a copy of the presentation is available upon request.
Q What is the capacity of the lifts?
A Sizes vary, but generally 16 persons
Q What is the core time of the lifts getting from the ground to platform level as this can be relevant for interconnecting trains?
A I am not sure but obviously this is also dependent on the mobility of person
Q Are the platforms being raised?
A No, platform heights are excluded from works
Q Do you have any start dates?
A We would like to start as soon as possible, the works will take about a year
Q The stairs look much steeper then the current ramps, how many levels will there be between each flight of stairs as I have problems with my joints?
A This is limited by design, but effectively it is two flights with a rest area in between
Q Will the steps be wide enough for a whole foot to step on?
A Yes, they will meet all building standards. This is why we need the lift as the ramps can be quite steep and some people will need to use the lift. With this scheme you have the option of steps or the lift
Q Will the steps be slippery when wet?
A No the bridge at Forest Hill is a good example, it is a non slip surface
Q How often will the lifts be cleaned and will there be CCTV coverage?
A The area will have100% CCTV coverage, so new cameras will be added. The cleaning will be down to South Eastern
Q When the lifts are unavailable will staff be there to assist?
A South Eastern must have a policy regarding this, so if unavailable there will be procedures in place
Q (Cllr Clarke) Can you clarify that the nearest accessible station is Orpington?
A We did have people indicate that they drive to Orpington, but there is still Bromley North
Cllr Clarke- But you still need to access Grove Park to use Bromley North as it doers not have a straight line through. What is the nearest accessible station to get into London?
A Probably Orpington, this is also why Grove Park needs a lift so as to compliment Bromley North
Q What is the running time of the lift from top to bottom?
A We do not have that information with us
Q What disruption will there be to the train service?
A There will be a normal service, no disruption
Q My understanding is that when there is a lift you need an Evacuation Chair, but the rules are that it needs 2 people to operate it, can you assure us that this can happen?
A This is a South Eastern issue, but they have to comply with the regulations, but we can check this for you
Q Thank you for doing the works, but what about the residents quality of life i.e. the noise levels during the works?
A We try to do as much work as we can whilst trains are running, however, sometimes we cannot do this due to us having to keep certain safety distances from the track. Then we have to look at other options and we will liaise with the Council and abide by noise limits with agreed restrictions in place
Q When is the planning meeting if we want to arise objections?
A The committee meeting is 17 July at the Civic Suite at 7.30pm
Q Grove Park does not need a modern type station, I am all for a lift, but the station does have character and this should be retained. Do you take on board the character of a station when you make these plans?
A When stations are listed or in a heritage area then we have too, but we cannot design every structure individually so we have to have a level of uniformity to keep costs down
Cllr Clarke – I think that this is a good point, people are not against the development, they just want to see a good development in keeping with the character of the station.
Q I live 5 minutes from the station and I have not heard of these plans. I have lots of concerns, firstly the plans are not in keeping with the original character and design. This is a 1900s attractive station and you are going to bury much of this. The removal of the ramps is unbelievable as they provide a speedy, convenient and easy access to the platforms and have done so safely for years and years. I have used them for over 70 years myself and I still have no problem using them. If you have to remove them here then surely you would have to do this at London Bridge and Waterloo as they are steeper. Lift options are a good idea, but they should be married into the original style of the station with the ramps remaining in place?
A We have discussed this and we cant keep the ramps as they don’t conform to DFT standards
Cllr Clarke – How would you get off the station if it is late at night and the lifts are not working, some people would be able to use the ramps, but not the stairs. Is there a way to keep the ramps in addition to the new lifts. People feel that there are other options if there is the will to explore them.
Q Will the stairs be wide enough to go against the surge of passengers and will there be a centre rail?
A The width is dictated by the separation of the tracks, the stairs will be the same width as the current ramp, there will not be a centre handrail
Q Has there been any thought to the way that this is going to be lit and the affect on houses nearby and how noisy are the lifts going to be?
A We have offered screening on either side, this is privacy glass and fixed movers
Q So does the current station not confide with existing building regulations and is it true that in retrospect it does not have to apply if you are not disturbing it?
A Yes this is the case, but we have been asked by the department to bring it up to a better level. This will enable people with access problems to use the station.
Cllr Clarke – We need to clarify that we all want to see access for all at Grove Park Station, it is this design which is the issue. I would like to know accident rates on ramps as opposed to stairs and I would also like to know what is happening with the old historic iron bridge.
Cllr Clarke then thanked Network Rail for coming along and suggested that people to take their contact details and ask questions. She then reminded the assembly that on 17 July at 7.30pm there is the Planning Committee meeting.