walthamstow reservoirs: cross about Crossrail 2 proposals?

Crossrail 2 will deliver essential transport links and help to transform the economy of north east London and the Lea Valley, but at what cost?

Emerging plans for Crossrail 2 may affect, even threaten our local environmental and built heritage including:

• Walthamstow Marshes; a Site of Special Scientific Interest

• Markfield Beam Engine Museum and Markfield Park

• The Coppermills

• The Marine Engine House

• The River Lea

Just at the moment when the Reservoirs are to be transformed into a unique wetlands habitat, a new railway line will slice them in two with a new tunnel entrance emerging between the Warwick Reservoirs.

Existing tracks through the area will be doubled from two to four tracks running alongside Walthamstow Marsh, between the Warwick Reservoirs, past the corner of Markfield Park, over the River Lea, and up past Yarmouth Crescent and Jarrow Road into Tottenham Hale.

Why is the current consultation documentation stopping short of spelling out these consequences?

A consultation on the plans runs out on 26^th July.

TfL say they will consult again after they have decided how the railway will travel through the Marshes towards Tottenham Hale. This is the wrong way round. Local people deserve to be consulted on the range of options and to fully understand and comment on the implications before a decision is made.

What is the way forward?

We think at least three options should be developed and consulted upon:

• The likely current scheme (current plans are vague) with the tunnel emerging between the Warwick Reservoirs, travelling over the Lea on a new bridge and then above ground to Tottenham Hale.

• A tunnel entrance between the River Lea and Tottenham Hale (i.e travelling under the Marshes, the Reservoirs and the Lea). The impact of this option on the surrounding residential neighbourhoods needs to be fully understood.

• A tunnel under the marshes and reservoirs and under Yarmouth Crescent and Yarrow Road with a new lower level station at Tottenham Hale. The line would then emerge between the Victoria Line sidings and Northumberland Park, north of Tottenham Hale.

We think local people concerned about the potential impact on the, Marshes  Reservoirs and local built heritage and residential neighbourhoods should argue strongly for the third option.

We also need to fully understand how these options affect the possibility of a new Crossrail Station at Clapton and what that means for the locally listed station building and the surrounding neighbourhood. This may ultimately prove to be a poisoned chalice.

Finally, we need to understand the construction impacts. Where will the main construction sites be located, what routes will the spoil lorries take and where will tunnel access and ventilation shafts be formed?

Find out more about the proposals:

• Crossrail - Tottenham Tunnel Portal

• Crossrail Consultation