New Brent Cross West (Thameslink) station

[jon0844]

Inside Brent Cross shopping centre is meant to be pretty good, and I guess most people look beyond the horrible exterior. I am fairly sure if people move there, it will only continue to grow. It doesn't look pretty like Westfield, but would people there go by train to either Westfield location when they have the same shops on their doorstep?

They absolutely need to improve the walking and cycling routes around the A406 and other roads so it can become a little less car centric, although arguably the problem with the roads are that people are racing through and not stopping there. Some traffic is for the shops, but most of it is simply getting in the way of and, before they all go electric, polluting the area.

 

[ChrisC]

Of course people will move in, but what I'm saying is that the likes of Brent Cross, Hendon, Colindale etc won't become desirable areas. People will move there because they're a bit cheaper than other parts of London. Or rather, not quite as expensive!

I’ve stayed about half a dozen times at the Hendon Hyde Premier Inn over the last 10 years which is next to the A5 between West Hendon and Colindale. It isn’t the type of location I would normally choose but the prices there can be very reasonable, even at peak times, and transport links into central London and out to Hertfordshire are quite good. The location on the A5 feels fairly safe, even late at night, but it’s very windswept and bleak. I find most of the districts along the A5 from Kilburn, through Cricklewood, West Hendon, Colindale and Burnt Oak a bit grim.

 

[mr_jrt]

FWIW, Hendon/Cricklewood/etc is where my family are from, and maybe it's nostalgia from my parents' and grandparents' generations, but apparently it and the places around it were lovely to live in at least between the 1930s and the 1980s. Certainly looked nice in the old photos I've seen over the years. I suspect they and many places like them got a bit left behind from the 1970s as the country and economy shifted and communities began to break down.

 

[43066]

FWIW, Hendon/Cricklewood/etc is where my family are from, and maybe it's nostalgia from my parents' and grandparents' generations, but apparently it and the places around it were lovely to live in at least between the 1930s and the 1980s. Certainly looked nice in the old photos I've seen over the years. I suspect they and many places like them got a bit left behind from the 1970s as the country and economy shifted and communities began to break down.

It has changed over the years. Extraordinary to think there was once an airfield on the site of Cricklewood, where the Golders Green Estate is today, and roughly east-adjacent to the modern day Brent Cross West station.

 

[Dima]

ricklewood has suffered as a neighbourhood as a result of two main factors: (a) too much traffic - on both the A5 and the roads linking Willesden Green with Golders Green

I honestly don’t think those roads are that bad (apart from A5 around Staples Corner).

The main culprits are, IMO, the railway, cutting it in half, the A41 cutting it from a nicer Child’s Hill / Golders Green area, and A406 cutting it from the areas to the north, including the shopping centre. All combined, the made the area around A406 quite badly accessible without a car. Now, with the new station, the regeneration area to the east of the railway is much better connected. The connectivity of the area to the west of it, though improved, is still far from ideal.

(b) being divided between three different boroughs, none of which have shown it much care until quite recently (and arguably only of the three then)

The part to the west of the railway, especially the bit of Barnet between the railway and A5 - yes. The part to the east of the railway are fine from this perspective IMO - it’s Barnet fair and square.

I am wondering though which council you’re referring to when you say that one started paying attention

I'm not at all convinced that Brent Cross shopping centre, unless it undergoes a comprehensive (and creative) reinvention, has much of a future, at least not in its current form.

I think it has its use. Yes, it’s heavily car-centric, but it’s probably in the best location for a car-centric shopping centre - next the A406 and M1. Sure, it doesn’t target central Londoners who would rather go to either Westfield by public transport, but it has its own target audience.

It is smaller though than either Westfield, and consequently has a smaller variety of shops - this I think is the main issue with it, not access.

Anyway, when it comes to car-free access, I hope it will be improved once the people start moving into the new development right across A406 from the shopping centre.

With some imagination, the future of the area should be bright - it's well-connected, not far from Central London, and (via West Hampstead, at least) has excellent transport connections, and numerous very pleasant neighbourhoods are nearby.

Except that there’s much more than West Hampstead when it comes to transport connectivity of this area, as one can easily use Thameslink to get directly to Central London, City, Luton and Gatwick airports, Greenwich etc, or change to the Elizabeth Line at Farringdon. While West Hampstead can be useful for some journeys, such journeys are a minority.

Otherwise, I share this bright sentiment too!

 

[Mikey C]

I’ve stayed about half a dozen times at the Hendon Hyde Premier Inn over the last 10 years which is next to the A5 between West Hendon and Colindale. It isn’t the type of location I would normally choose but the prices there can be very reasonable, even at peak times, and transport links into central London and out to Hertfordshire are quite good. The location on the A5 feels fairly safe, even late at night, but it’s very windswept and bleak. I find most of the districts along the A5 from Kilburn, through Cricklewood, West Hendon, Colindale and Burnt Oak a bit grim.

In the Barnet Council plan, areas like Cricklewood, Brent Cross West, West Hendon and Colindale have been targeted for a lot of extra housing, hence the large amount of high density flats being built along the A5 corridor, including on the Sainsbury's near the hotel.

 

[jon0844]

I assume all the concrete elevated sections around there have an end of life date, and I hope they're making plans on what to do when that time comes - as people in Gateshead are now experiencing the hard way.

Unlike there, where it seems they're having to beg the Government for funding, I guess the North Circular, M1 and other roads will find funding a little easier to obtain. Let's pray they do a better job next time.

 

[Mikey C]

I assume all the concrete elevated sections around there have an end of life date, and I hope they're making plans on what to do when that time comes - as people in Gateshead are now experiencing the hard way.

Unlike there, where it seems they're having to beg the Government for funding, I guess the North Circular, M1 and other roads will find funding a little easier to obtain. Let's pray they do a better job next time.

The A41 flyover over the North Circular has had a 7.5 tonne weight restriction for 2 years, so preventing further wear is the current position, rather than spending £50m to repair it!

There are many other structures across London in a similarly poor state, with funding no more available than in the Northeast...

 

[Dave W]

That was made very clear in the discussions twixt the DfT and the various agencies - the access to the well established shopping centre was not the prime reason - a very good example of devlopment including a sensible and do-able railway input.

And even less so when the owners of the shopping centre pulled out of funding of much of the project, which left Barnet to pick up the pieces.

There's lots wrong with LB Barnet, as there is many London councils and indeed councils full stop, but this is a very positive project providing thousands of desperately needed homes. Discussion about whether they're affordable etc is another matter, but we are told we need homes and Barnet is providing them. Not only that, but they're approaching it as a "new town" with associated services, parks and shops etc. which is more than can be said for substantial developments elsewhere in London which prioritise housing units over other amenities.

It's not perfect, but it is very much a move in the correct direction. I acknowledge that there may be areas that need a station more than this one, but it is an attractive marketing prospect indeed to have a railway station built for your swathes of new properties.

 

[Tobberz]

Apologies if this has already been discussed, but I can't work out how the West London Orbital will intersect with Brent Cross West. Presumably it will need new terminating platforms (terminating on the fast MML platforms is clearly not possible) - but there doesn't seem to have been passive provision allowed for two more platforms?

 

[Edvid]

There is passive provision - where the ticketed concourse opens out above the fast-line island platform, there is space to add a footbridge that would connect it to a platform (not sure if single or island) on the goods lines. Given the length of existing Overground trains and the track layout it'll almost certainly be shorter than the 12-car Thameslink platforms.

For context, here's a timestamped driver's eye view of it (video courtesy of Mick Lewis).

 

[Tobberz]

There is passive provision - where the ticketed concourse opens out above the fast-line island platform, there is space to add a footbridge that would connect it to a platform (not sure if single or island) on the goods lines. Given the length of existing Overground trains and the track layout it'll almost certainly be shorter than the 12-car Thameslink platforms.

For context, here's a timestamped driver's eye view of it (video courtesy of Mick Lewis).

Aha! Thanks so much for the video link, makes sense to me.

It's great there is passive provision - one can imagine that had the pandemic not thrown TfL off kilter, the whole 6 platform station could have been built at once, alongside a not-as-delayed W.L.O.