Scaffolding at Streatham Hill station

[CuppaBeans]

Hi all, long time lurker but first time poster! I've been living in Streatham Hill for over 10 years and visiting since I was a little kid going to Megabowl, and it seems like the scaffolding around the station has been around as long as I can remember (especially iconic is the faded "Hadley's Scaffolding" sign - I wonder if they're still in business?). The backs of the shops like Platform Barbers and Porky's Wine Bar look like the scaffolding is the only thing keeping them from crumbling onto the tracks. The whole thing seems kind of neglected and dangerous.

Does anyone know what's going on here? I noticed there's a thread on here from 2010 talking about when the walkway was installed and it looks like at least some of the scaffolding was there even back then: "Refurbishment" of Streatham Hill station.

 

[sparkybird]

Welcome! I don't use Streatham Hill station very often but I'm always amazed at that scaffolding. You should post a pic!

 

[CuppaBeans]

Thanks! I'll take one next time I'm there

 

[CuppaBeans]

Here are some pics - this one from the opposite platform, with the ticket office on the right:



Close-up of the scaffolding with an old "Radio Cars" sign and the iconic faded "Hadley's Scaffolding" sign just about hanging on:



It looks like it only goes 3 shops deep, so doesn't quite get to Porky's. Here's a pic of the front of those shops:



Not sure when Antik Barbers and the China Health Clinic shut down, but I think that coffee shop used to be Undercover Records.

 

[TopCat]

Permanent shoring up. Cheaper than shutting the rail line for a repair or demolition job.

 

[editor]

Here are some pics - this one from the opposite platform, with the ticket office on the right:

View attachment 392601

Close-up of the scaffolding with an old "Radio Cars" sign and the iconic faded "Hadley's Scaffolding" sign just about hanging on:

View attachment 392602

It looks like it only goes 3 shops deep, so doesn't quite get to Porky's. Here's a pic of the front of those shops:

View attachment 392603

Not sure when Antik Barbers and the China Health Clinic shut down, but I think that coffee shop used to be Undercover Records.

What an eyesore. May I suggest you write to your local councillor/MP?

 

[CuppaBeans]

What an eyesore. May I suggest you write to your local councillor/MP?

Might do that yeah. The strange thing is that those shops used to be open, so it sounds like the situation is getting worse if that's what caused them to shut down.

 

[editor]

Might do that yeah. The strange thing is that those shops used to be open, so it sounds like the situation is getting worse if that's what caused them to shut down.

If you fancied getting a bit more proactive, you could write a little piece for Brixton Buzz, preferably with a photo of you looking outraged in front of the scaffolding.

 

[CuppaBeans]

I'll see what I get back from Bell Ribeiro-Addy but yeah that could be good, I'll practice my best grumpy pointing pose.

 

[editor]

I'll see what I get back from Bell Ribeiro-Addy but yeah that could be good, I'll practice my best grumpy pointing pose.

That's the spirit!

 

[BusLanes]

If you fancied getting a bit more proactive, you could write a little piece for Brixton Buzz, preferably with a photo of you looking outraged in front of the scaffolding.

Ideally pointing at the scaffolding too, whilst looking angry

 

[lang rabbie]

Think the scaffolding has been up for more than a decade.

There was another small shop closer to the station entrance that had to be taken down (shortly after the new bridge works at the station IIRC).
If you look through the fence at street level you can see it's floor tiles between the Buddleias.

 

[Crispy]

What they should really do is put proper piles in on both sides to retain the ground, then use them as foundations for dekcing over the tracks and moving the station back out of the street. It's currently a ridiculous pinch point right at the junction, which makes the proposed bike path impossible to squeeze past. Heck, you could deck over the entire station to where the road bridge goes over and easily pay for it all with over-station development.



Might be a bit of an overreaction to some ugly scaffolding. Sorry about that.
(Such a plan was considered in 1963 btw)

 

[lang rabbie]

What they should really do is put proper piles in on both sides to retain the ground, then use them as foundations for dekcing over the tracks and moving the station back out of the street. It's currently a ridiculous pinch point right at the junction, which makes the proposed bike path impossible to squeeze past. Heck, you could deck over the entire station to where the road bridge goes over and easily pay for it all with over-station development.

View attachment 393796

Might be a bit of an overreaction to some ugly scaffolding. Sorry about that.
(Such a plan was considered in 1963 btw)

I think the over station site was in every Lambeth development plan until the 1990s, originally described as a site for a town centre "supermarket". Then Sainsbury's and Tesco's built their megastores at Streatham Common!

The ticket hall is a listed building as it dates back to the original 1856 Crystal Palace & West End of London Railway. But given the original staircases have been demolished for the rusting abomination of the bridge installed just over a decade ago, I suspect you could take the timberwork apart and erect on a new site.

 

[StoneRoad]

That needs "some" serious investment ...

While I don't really like completely decking over stations, not just because ££££s required, that might be a decent solution for this case.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

Think the scaffolding has been up for more than a decade.

The telephone number seems to be an 01 number!

Would put it as more than 30 years

 

[Puddy_Tat]

especially iconic is the faded "Hadley's Scaffolding" sign - I wonder if they're still in business?

could be these people, who say they specialise in railway related stuff. website has an 0800 number and no address.

The telephone number seems to be an 01 number!

looks more like 016?4 then 6 numbers. Possibly 01634 which is Medway.

an old london 01 number would be 01 xxx xxxx

The ticket hall is a listed building as it dates back to the original 1856 Crystal Palace & West End of London Railway. But given the original staircases have been demolished for the rusting abomination of the bridge installed just over a decade ago, I suspect you could take the timberwork apart and erect on a new site.

i think the general intention with listed buildings is to keep them where they are rather than move them somewhere else - would certainly need special permission.

wonder if the 3 buildings down the side road are listed as well? they look like the kind of thing that was often built round railway stations for coal merchants and so on.

although it is an issue for the railways - a lot of infrastructure is listed, and there's a difficult balance between that and making it fit for purpose with accessibility requirements that weren't a consideration in the 19th century...

 

[technical]

I am pretty sure that the station is not listed - it doesn't appear on the statutory list

National Heritage List

 

[lang rabbie]

That needs "some" serious investment ...

While I don't really like completely decking over stations, not just because ££££s required, that might be a decent solution for this case.

I suspect the complexity of an engineering solution to building the deck that does not involve an extended closure of the tracks might make cost prohibitive.

 

[lang rabbie]

I am pretty sure that the station is not listed - it doesn't appear on the statutory list

National Heritage List

You are quite right. I would have sworn that an application for listing went in 20 years ago - perhaps knocked back because it already has conservation area protection???

 

[TopCat]

What they should really do is put proper piles in on both sides to retain the ground, then use them as foundations for dekcing over the tracks and moving the station back out of the street. It's currently a ridiculous pinch point right at the junction, which makes the proposed bike path impossible to squeeze past. Heck, you could deck over the entire station to where the road bridge goes over and easily pay for it all with over-station development.

View attachment 393796

Might be a bit of an overreaction to some ugly scaffolding. Sorry about that.
(Such a plan was considered in 1963 btw)

Mm. Lengthy shutdowns needed to get that done.

 

[1927]

I wonder if Network Rail, assuming the scaffolding is on their land, is complying with necessary legislation. HASAWA, management regs, CDM 2015 and Temporary Works BS for starters.

 

[Crispy]

Mm. Lengthy shutdowns needed to get that done.

I reckon it oculd be done with minimal impact on the operationg railway by undertaking piling at night and fabricating the deck beams on site, starting at the Southern end and working North. The station could have a temporary entrance off the bridge, on Drewstead Rd or Ternhold Ave and retain the existing stairs and lifts. I have a fully detailed Construction Management Plan all queued up in my mind.

 

[TopCat]

I reckon it oculd be done with minimal impact on the operationg railway by undertaking piling at night and fabricating the deck beams on site, starting at the Southern end and working North. The station could have a temporary entrance off the bridge, on Drewstead Rd or Ternhold Ave and retain the existing stairs and lifts. I have a fully detailed Construction Management Plan all queued up in my mind.

I may try and get the Network Rail project manager to contact you.

 

[1927]

I reckon it oculd be done with minimal impact on the operationg railway by undertaking piling at night and fabricating the deck beams on site, starting at the Southern end and working North. The station could have a temporary entrance off the bridge, on Drewstead Rd or Ternhold Ave and retain the existing stairs and lifts. I have a fully detailed Construction Management Plan all queued up in my mind.

I reckon you could put the deck in and slide the existing station building onto the deck without dismantling it! Does your CPP take that into account?

 

[Cat Fan]

Unlike many stations in the area (cough Tulse hill cough) SH benefits from lifts. That already puts it was ahead on the development front.

Suspect no one would want a big supermarket there now, but Network Rail could make a tidy amount from building flats over it. Not the easiest build