Finsbury Park Station/City North Development

Arkady

Two weeks ago my TfL contact said that the deal between City North and their new contractor was "close to being finalised" and that a new date for the closure of Wells Terrace would follow that.<div><br></div><div>It's fascinating watching the lift-shaft works at the moment. They've been using some impressive machinery to cut and install the steel.</div>

marko

Where is this to be seen?

miss annie

<p>Plenty of vehicles moving about on the site during the daytimes, I thought they had started works?</p><p>StrawberryGrapeBanana aka 'TASTE the mango' has gone now, the good shop next to Starbucks has massively expanded their fruit range.</p>

Arkady

It can best be seen from platform six. They are working where the old abandoned platforms used to be. The current activity on the City North site is in support of the TfL/Network Rail step-free access works rather than prep work for the redevelopment.

TheMimsy

Where's Taste the Mango gone, I wonder...

Sutent

Tottenham court road

miss annie

Oh, where? There's a fruit & veg stall at Goodge St. tube and another at Warren St. tube but no others. Are they taking over one of those or starting another?

Sutent

That's what mango man said last time I spoke to him. I think it was Goodge street

krappyrubsnif

That is going to liven up Tottenham Court Road

Ali

Like the lights that have been put in the pavement to edge the cycle lane to

Ali

The new cycle lane is great nice and wide nice touch with the lights

Arkady

Seems there are open days for the City North development this week: http://www.telfordhomes.london/microsites/city-north/

Arkady

Sadly I'm abroad- hopefully someone can make it and give us an update!

Papa

That's really helpful of the developers. Public event between 11am and 4pm on two working days.

TescoPigeon

Agreed. Its almost like they want to minimise public engagement...

HolbornFox

Funny thing is I keep hearing that the flats in central London are suddenly not selling as well and have also noticed that the developer of 'The Stage' in Shoreditch seems absolutely desperate to flog them with adverts everywhere so I wonder how that is affecting this development? Would hate to see the area end up as a half developed waste.

lazyatom

I just popped down, and spoke to the TFL and development representatives. Here are the details I got, to the best of my memory - none of which I think are particularly new, but just in case:<div><br></div><div>The developer is "now under contract", and t<span style="font-size: 10pt;">he Wells Terrace entrance will now be closing in mid July this year, and will re-open in April 2019. (There was something about the developer needing to give TFL 8 weeks notice, which I think means that now the deal is signed and the notice has been given.)</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size: 10pt;">There will be two routes to the new Wells Terrace entrance - one new thoroughfare leading down from Wells Terrace itself, and another route through City North along Goodwin Street. Since the Wells Terrace tunnel itself will be going away, the new foot route to the platforms will involve three to four new steps, but there will be a no-step route for those with accessibility needs or luggage using the new lifts.</span></div><div><br></div><div>There should be no impact to the actual frequency of services on the tube or trains, and the night tube (due to arrive this Summer) should also be unaffected. The lift work will continue to impact access to the platforms though; that's unavoidable.</div><div><br></div><div>Regarding the development itself, there will be new retail units on both the new thoroughfare and Wells Terrace (I think the City North representative said 17 units), along with/including a "small Waitrose" and a Cineworld (both now contracted) and a Gymbox (not yet contracted).</div><div><br></div><div>Borrowing a picture from <a href="

https://twitter.com/TheDeliAt80/status/732529505785511936

">@TheDeliAt80<;/a>:</div><div><br></div><div><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cip3sG5XIAAd2Se.jpg"><br></div><div><br></div><div>The arm of "Two City North" that extends along Wells Terrace will be affordable housing, with some/the rest of "Two City North" being shared ownership.</div><div><br></div><div>That's all I learned; hopefully it's useful to some of you. We use the Wells Terrace entrance a lot and so it sucks to see it go away, but it seems basically unavoidable, so hopefully the development will pay off in terms of amenities and so on when it's finally finished.</div>

NorthNineteen

That's really useful - thanks.<br>

jlong

Thanks, incredibly helpful. I had thought they were trying to reduce the amount of time the entrance was going to be closed - is almost 3 years what has always been planned/longer?!

mattrobinson

Thanks @lazyatom. But 3 fecking years for the closure of wells terrace!? It's gonna be awful for SGR side of the station ..

Papa

On that closure of the Wells Terrace entrance for so long, it seems to be that developers and TFL just can't be arsed with putting their passengers first (or more likely TFL feels it needs to bend over backwards to please the developers).

Arkady

Many thanks to @lazyatom for the update. Very disappointing to hear about the 3-year closure; I rather share Papa L's assessment, though I half hope to discover that it's a technical necessity just so I feel less annoyed about it.

maclondon

So an update following a discussion with someone in TfL. The wells terrace entrance will close in July16 as discussed above but the plan is for the new ticket concourse to open in Spring 18 and hopefully earlier. The 2019 reference is to complete the full programme of works which I think includes the main elements of the City North Development.

Arkady

Hi @maclondon - who was your TfL source? Mine is denying the 2018 date and saying that it will indeed be 2019 before we get a new entrance.

rjrjrj

Hi there, if the closure of the Wells Terrace entrance/exit happens in July, does anyone know what is happening with the eastern side of Stroud Green Road under the bridge (i.e. the Haringey side). There has been scaffolding blocking off under the bridge for a number of weeks now, which blocks it off for pedestrians. Earlier in the year, when Islington were doing the cycle lane on their side under the bridge, and London Underground were re-routing passengers because of the works to the stairs inside of the station, it was nothing short of a mess. Hundreds of people being funnelled through a gap every morning and evening!

Maximus

Coordination on timing for these projects is a mess.

Arkady

The scaffolding is staying for a long time. City North are reclaiming the site back from Network Rail in order to start their work, so Network Rail now only have that scaffolding to gain access to the train platforms for the step-free access works. Confirmed that there will be a three year gap between WT closing and the new entrance opening. Basically the developers have said that they could open it earlier but it would inconvenient to them, and LB Islington have done nothing to stop that.

Ali

I wonder how Telford Homes will be impacted by Brexit. Share price seems to have dropped quite a bit as with other builders !

Sutent

The traffic around Morris place and fonthill road is horrible during rush hour

maclondon

Have an update from my TfL contact, the closure of Wells Terrace is still on for July and while the target is 2018 re-opening the planned public date is likely to be 2019. So at the moment Telford are still going ahead.