The Council’s campaign for a Woolwich Crossrail station has received a huge boost following the Crossrail Select Committee’s announcement of interim decisions.
There is now strong support for the request to put a Woolwich station back into the plans for the multi-billion pound Crossrail scheme.
Convinced of essential need
Crossrail Select Committee Chair, Alan Meale (MP for Mansfield) spoke of the committee’s support for Woolwich in a House of Commons statement made at 10.00am on Tuesday 25 July.
He said the committee was "clearly convinced of the essential need for a Crossrail station at Woolwich ... an area which includes some of the poorest wards in the United Kingdom."
He went on to say that the station provided "exceptional value for money" and that the "necessary additional provisions" for a Woolwich Crossrail station should be made available. He asked that the local council are kept up to date with plans to ensure the station is "fully integrated with the local transport infrastructure.”
History of the campaign
The Council has been running a long-standing campaign for a Crossrail station in Woolwich and recently presented a request to Parliament.
The campaign has continued to argue for the huge benefits the station would provide to:
- jobs
- homes
- regeneration
- the economy of Woolwich, Greenwich and the wider Thames Gateway region.
Find out more in our regeneration section.
You can also view our campaign video.
Contributing to future growth
Greenwich successfully argued that although Woolwich has suffered from decades of decline, it is now involved in a huge programme of regeneration that will make a large contribution to the future growth of the local, regional and national economy and help make Crossrail a success.
Despite earlier concerns about the cost of a station at Woolwich, the government’s figures now show Woolwich as “good value for money” and better value than the Crossrail scheme as a whole.
Who's been running the campaign?
The Woolwich Crossrail campaign was formed in partnership between Greenwich Council, local residents, the business community, Greenwich’s three MPs and key partners in health, education and the local community.
Great day for local people
Speaking in response to the committee’s interim decisions, Council Leader, Cllr. Chris Roberts, said: "This is a great day for thousands of local people, for future jobs, homes and prosperity.
"I am thankful and encouraged that the Select Committee have taken on board our very strong arguments for the regeneration of Woolwich and also what Woolwich can offer the growth of the economy as a whole. We look forward to working towards integrating Woolwich into the Crossrail scheme."
"I am delighted for the hundreds of local people, businesses and organisations of all sizes, our local MPs, partners and friends who have continued to support the case for Woolwich, often against the odds, because they know just how important the scheme is to the future of the area.
"I now hope that Woolwich is rightly reinstated in the scheme as our arguments have shown that far from an unnecessary and draining cost on the scheme, Woolwich will help turn the single biggest transport development in the capital in over a century into the most successful."
Improving the transport scheme
Nick Raynsford, MP for Greenwich and Woolwich warmly welcomed the announcement, "The Committee has clearly recognised the very strong case for a Crossrail Station at Woolwich. This improves Crossrail's transport scheme and will make a large contribution to the regeneration of Woolwich and the Thames Gateway.
"This also allows London to continue to develop as one of the world’s great cities. I would like to thank all those people, residents, businesses and well-wishers who have given such support and encouragement to our campaign for the Woolwich Station."
Find out more about regeneration in the borough.
Find out more about Crossrail.
25 July 2006