Peckham Rye Station/station square and rear courtyard

A new vision for the station square and rear courtyard

Artists impression of the square looking towards Rye Lane.	A new vision for Peckham Rye station: the plan would involve removing the buildings in front of the station and replacing them with a public square and improved facilities for local businesses.
Artists impression of Blenheim Grove with cultural/A3 uses.	Artists impression of the rear courtyard of Peckham station as a market (note new entrance through the station).

It was agreed in 2008 by all local elected representatives across the political parties at local ward, borough Council, London Assembly and Parliamentary levels that the aim should be to re-open the square in front of Peckham Rye station. See artists' impressions above. This needs a viable business plan to be created to compensate the owners whose buildings wwould need to be removed, and who have them on leases from Network Rail. The aspiration is in the draft PNAAP, and will come up for further discussion in the consultation on the Preferred Options report (late 2010/early 2011). Latest news on this was reported by the Council to the RLSAG 28 October 2009, see extract below.

Rye Lane & Station Action Group October 2009

report on station square - extract from minutes:
item 3. Peckham Rye Station exterior
Simon Bevan, Interim Head of Planning and Transport, Southwark Council, gave a report on progress on the proposed station square and related improvements in the vicinity:

• The station square project has widespread support and is in the Council area action plan. But what will really make it happen? Unlike the project to bring the station billiard room back into use, the area in front of the station already has a commercial use. If the commercial properties were to be removed it could only be on the basis that it would increase the value of the rest of the space around the station. For this to happen it would require a major change in the level of confidence in the area for an investment decision like this to be made.
  
• What could provide this confidence? Something happening, ie:
  
  • If confidence were shown in the area by a major investment such as in the redevelopment of the Bournemouth Road site and the regeneration of the Bussey building (also in our area action plan) it may give other land owners and investors confidence to take more bold steps.
    
  • Bringing more residential population into the centre would provide the footfall and the spending power to allow the centre to develop a new level of service to local people.
    
  • Opportunities exist in the multi-storey car park and the Aylesham Centre
    
• These opportunities can be taken while still protecting and enhancing the heritage of Peckham – not least in the fine station building itself.
  
• However – the centre still needs a clear vision about what its purpose will be and what sort of range of services it will contain going into the future. This is a discussion that needs to continue in the community and with land owners, developers and other investors.
  

item 4. Integrated Plans for Central Rye Lane
Michael Carnuccio, Team Leader in Planning Policy, Peckham and Nunhead Area Action Plan (PNAAP), gave a brief account of the PNAAP process, and how it related to the previous items and discussion...

• There are a number of sites around the station which can be looked at together in terms of how they are linked, how they are used and how they can transform the town centre. Through PNAAP we can examine how development on other sites could help deliver the station square – for example by providing space for existing businesses to relocate, helping to raise value of land around the station, encouraging investors into the area, and through collecting ‘Section 106’ money (from approved developments).

Transforming Peckham Rye Station: report launched November 2008

[From the Council's website](new link is awaited): A breakfast briefing about Peckham Rye Station and its redevelopment took place on Friday 21 November 2008. The event launched a report that brings together a number of ideas for the proposed development of Peckham Rye Station. These include the imminent listing and upgrade of the 19th century station building and recommendations for the creation of a focal point for the area in the form of a piazza or square.

The leader of Southwark Council, councillor Nick Stanton, Harriet Harman, MP for Camberwell and Peckham, and Valerie Shawcross, GLA member, attended the briefing along with community activists, representatives from Transport for London, Network Rail and other local stakeholders.

Councillor Nick Stanton, said: “On the evidence of today’s attendance, it’s obvious there is massive support to see these improvements at Peckham Rye Station. We now have to focus our efforts on working with Network Rail to deliver this project, which will drastically improve the station and its surrounding areas, and present commuters and local residents with a far more pleasant experience.” Download Peckham Rye Station: the Case for Change(new link is awaited)