I wish to understand how the decision was taken to progress the creation of a second entrance at Southwark Tube station and the rationale for this. Please supply any documentation in relation to this. Thank you

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TfL Ref: FOI-2362-1819

Thank you for your email received by Transport for London (TfL) on 7 December 2018.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and our information access policy.  I can confirm TfL does hold the information you require. You asked:

I wish to understand how the decision was taken to progress the creation of a second entrance at Southwark Tube station and the rationale for this. Please supply any documentation in relation to this.

Network Rail submitted a planning application for an entrance at Southwark station to Lambeth Council on 20 February 2009. Network Rail decided not to proceed with this proposal, and the application was withdrawn prior to a planning committee.

As part of a Joint Venture with U+I (formerly Development Securities) which began in January 2015, TfL reviewed plans to construct an Over Station Development (OSD) above Southwark station. These plans would have required the closure of the existing ticket hall on Blackfriars Road and the provision of a temporary entrance to ensure the station remained operational during construction. In early 2017, the Joint Venture did not have a viable proposal to proceed with the OSD and work on these proposals was discontinued.

In September 2017, following a TfL-led OSD design study, an opportunity was seen to deliver a commercial office scheme that retains existing station facilities. Our current plans indicate that the existing Southwark station ticket hall on Blackfriars Road would not need to close for a significant period of time and therefore a temporary second entrance is not needed for the OSD.

However, modelling shows that the number of passengers using the station has doubled every five years in the 15 years to 2017, that by 2041 this number is expected to increase by another 40% in the morning peak, and that the existing entrance will become congested. On this basis, we reviewed all of the feasible options and determined that a permanent entrance should be proposed. The preferred option is the consultation design and our planning application details the options that were not taken forward, and the reasons why.

The application documents are available on Lambeth website using the following link: https://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/online-applications/  The reference for the planning application is: 18/05029/FUL. Please enter the reference number into the search box to view the relevant documents.

In accordance with section 21 of the FOI Act, we are not obliged to supply you with a copy of the requested information as it is already accessible to you elsewhere.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.

Yours sincerely

Eva Hextall

FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

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