The developing story of the Northern Line Extension

London is full of surprises and coming across a large tract of undeveloped and derelict land in the middle of the city is not something you would expect to see.Yet in the southwest corner of central London, between Vauxhall and Battersea Park, are 480 acres of land that feel more like a suburban business park than the centre of one of the world’s most vibrant cities.

While this Opportunity Area has a rich history with Battersea Power Station, gas works and vehicle manufacturing, its future is defined by plans for vibrant offices, restaurants, shops, embassies, river piers, parks and open space. Although much of this development is currently underway, to fully realise its potential, transport links from this area to the rest of London need to be significantly improved. After analysing many options, an extension of the Northern line from Kennington to Battersea has been determined to provide both the capacity and the connectivity needed to drive sustainable development in this area

The Northern Line Extension is 3.2 km long with two new stations that will serve both existing and future residents, offices and retail areas. The extension is expected to cost approximately £1 billion and the majority of these costs are to be financed by the private sector through a unique funding model. Contributions by developers building in the area around the stations and incremental business rates within a new enterprise zone are expected to cover the costs of the project.

 Steer Davies Gleave has been pushing the development of the Northern Line Extension since 2007 when SDG Director Peter Twelftree suggested it as an idea to a previous developer of the Battersea Power Station site. Since then we have worked with Transport for London to develop the business case and assess the transport effects of the scheme, particularly during construction.

A significant milestone was achieved with the submission of the Transport and Works Act application in April 2013. If all goes according to plan, construction will begin in earnest in 2015, with the first services commencing by 2020. Whether acres of vacant land or a single lot, this scheme shows how development potential can be unlocked with better transport.

 

Vauxhall Nine Elms Battersea Opportunity Area

 

Visualisation of The Transformed Vauxhall Nine Elms Battersea Opportunity Area