Request ID: FOI-3042-2324 Date published: 19 December 2023
You asked
Dear and Transport for London board members,
Please find the recently published article on the proposed underground EV bus garage by Ballymore and TfL at Edgware Broadwalk. https://barnetpost.co.uk/2023/11/22/fire-safety-fears-over-proposed-underground-bus-garage-in-edgware/
The London Fire Brigade is not satisfied with the proposal and their position has not changed since its letter of 2022.
According to the article, TfL has stated that "The garage will not be operational until 2030 at the earliest".
Please can you confirm in writing that 2030 is the earliest that the new garage will be operational? We very much welcome your comments on this matter.
Please can this query be registered under FOI as well.
We answered
TfL Ref: 3042-2324
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 24 November 2023 asking for information about Edgware Underground EV Bus Garage and London Fire Brigade Concerns.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold the information you require. You asked as follows in relation to the proposed garage: Please can you confirm in writing that 2030 is the earliest that the new garage will be operational? We very much welcome your comments on this matter.
The garage will not be operational until 2030 at the earliest and we are clear that no electric vehicles will be permitted unless the design has been approved by the London Fire Brigade, Barnet Council, the Health & Safety Executive and Building Control. We will continue to work closely with relevant authorities, battery and bus manufacturers to ensure the proposal is designed and built to the highest fire safety standards, with fully tested safety measures undertaken by a UK accredited testing house. The Edgware project will deliver nearly 3,500 new homes, including up to 1,150 affordable homes, creating hundreds of new jobs and £1.7billion of investment in regenerating the town centre. It has also been designed to encourage the use of sustainable transport, which will improve air quality not just in Edgware but across Barnet – and beyond. We will continue to work closely with the Edgware community and stakeholders as we deliver a thriving future for Edgware.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any 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
Sara Thomas FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London