This week there are three letters in the South London Press about the tram crossing the river. One suggests also extending the tram to Streatham, and one urges that in the excitement about the tram route, the proposed site for the tram depot in Peckham must not be forgotten. TfL have still not done the comprehensive review of all possible depot sites, and this needs to be done “to allow the centre of Peckham to be developed in a way that enhances the area as opposed to closing it off for a depot.”
For an integrated town centre
When is this supposed to be happening? Is it around the time of the Olympics?
The official planning date is 2016 for the original cross river tram to be in operation. That has been the official date for the last two years. It is not clear what effect the latest decision from the Mayor, to have two phases, will have on timing. The London Mayor says he wants the first phase to get the tram into operation in south London between Peckham & Brixton and Waterloo, and ‘probably’ crossing the river perhaps to Aldwych, and the second phase taking it to Camden. The first phase might still be 2016, and the second phase possibly 2020. But Southwark Council are saying they want the first phase in by 2012. That may not be feasible given the competition with the Olympics for
contractors and constructing skills, all the legal planning and infrastructure work for such a major project, and gettign teh funding into the Mayor’s budget in time.
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