A major £1.3 billion West London redevelopment will be inaccessible to some unless lifts are installed at a nearby station, a residents’ petition has claimed. More than 1,000 people have signed a petition calling for lifts to be added to Kensington (Olympia) as part of the wider Olympia plans.
Jane Bird, 67, a resident who started the petition alongside a neighbour, claimed the lack of lifts would ‘make it impossible’ for people with mobility issues to visit Olympia using the station. A spokesperson for Yoo Capital, the joint-owner of Olympia, said they ‘fully support’ the calls for lifts at Kensington (Olympia) station and welcome the opportunity to continue conversations to achieve this with Network Rail, Transport for London (TfL) and local residents.
The redevelopment of the Olympia site was approved by Hammersmith and Fulham Council in 2019. Historically associated with events such as Crufts and the Ideal Home Show, hosted in its iconic exhibition centres, the project will reimagine the site to deliver spaces from bars and restaurants to a new 4,000-person music arena.
Dubbed a ‘cultural landmark’ on its official website, Olympia will also include 550,000 square feet of workspace, with facilities ranging from recording studios to podcast rooms. Having suffered delays due to events such as Covid, it is expected to begin opening in the second half of this year.
The nearest station to the site is Kensington (Olympia), through which run Overground and District line services. TfL and Arriva Rail London (ARL) manage the station, though it is owned by Network Rail.
Kensington (Olympia) is the nearest station to the Olympia redevelopment site
(Image: Google)
In a petition hosted on Change.org, the Local Olympia Residents Group has called on TfL, Yoo Capital and Network Rail to direct project funding to deliver new lifts at Kensington (Olympia). “The cost of a lift would be a drop in the ocean – and would transform the ability of hundreds of thousands of people to enjoy the new site,” the petition reads.
The station is already step-free, via Russell Road or Olympia Way, and so is ineligible for Department for Transport (DfT) Access for All funding. Money has been allocated from the Olympia scheme to improvements including more customer shelters and an extended gateline to make entry and exit easier.
The petition, however, states that the 600-metre walk required to go from one side of the station to another is ‘prohibitive’ for those with mobility issues. Ms Bird, who has multiple sclerosis (MS) and uses a mobility scooter, started the petition with a neighbour. She said she is part of a wider group made up of residents from around 20 local streets which has been raising concerns about the redevelopment.
Ms Bird told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) she had only recently discovered lifts would not be installed as part of the project. She said: “I was just shocked and horrified to discover that they are still not going to be included, and incredulous really. It does feel like a slap in the face by the developers and the architects and the designers and all of the people involved in the planning process and in the construction that they could have thought this was not something that they should prioritise.”
Asked what issues the lack of lifts could pose to people with mobility issues, she said: “I would say it’s such a big obstacle it would make it impossible for them to contemplate coming that way, coming by public transport.”
A spokesperson for Yoo Capital told the LDRS: “With new Olympia venues due to start opening their doors later this year, we fully support the calls for lifts at Kensington Olympia station. It’s important to us that our venues and events are as accessible as possible for all to enjoy. We have explored ways to achieve this with Network Rail and TfL during the redevelopment planning process and we welcome the opportunity to continue conversations with them and local residents.”
A spokesperson for TfL said: “It is important that our network is as accessible as possible for everyone and we are working hard to grow the number of step-free stations both owned and managed by Transport for London. While Kensington (Olympia) station has step-free access from street to platform, we recognise that the Russell Road side of the station could be more accessible to customers and we would support the introduction of lifts.
“While our operator, Arriva Rail London, manages the station, any structural changes which includes the installation of the lifts are the responsibility of Network Rail as the station owner. We will continue to support Network Rail in every way we can to help secure funding to further enhance the accessibility at this station.”
A spokesperson for Network Rail said: “We will continue to work with the developer, the local authority and rail partners (ARL and TfL) on improving accessibility and where additional funding can be unlocked to deliver further improvements.”
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