Chuka Umunna MP

In just under two months time, from Sunday 7^th April, Network Rail will be carrying out work to extend platform two at Streatham Hill Station, designed to allow longer trains with more seats to stop at the station and help to relieve overcrowding.

We all know that our train service is not as good as it should be, and I am very supportive of efforts to improve our local transport. However, I am keen to ensure that the disruption caused by these works is kept at an absolute minimum.

The main construction work will be undertaken from April through to early June, as set out in the provisional programme below. Network Rail has informed me that work will take place at weekends, designed in this way so as to minimise disruption. Unfortunately, there will be no trains running from the station on Sunday April 7^th, 21^st and 28^th, nor on Sunday 19^th May or Sunday 2^nd June, and a rail replacement bus service will run instead.

Network Rail have provided me with a number of assurances that the work will be done in such a way as to minimise disruption for local residents and passengers, that most of the work will be done behind hoardings, separate from the operational station, and therefore not requiring changes to the usual train timetable, and that no road closures will be required.

My purpose in writing this post is to appeal to every local resident, business and service user to alert me as soon as possible – please see the contact page of my website for details of how to do so – if you are experiencing any adversity because of these works, or if you feel that any of the assurances given to me concerning these works are not being met, so that I am able to raise your concerns with Network Rail.

Current Provisional Programme of Works:

I am very glad that some of the much needed work to improve our train service is being done, but I am determined that the impact on local residents, businesses and passengers is kept to an absolute minimum. I would be very grateful to you if you would get in touch with any concerns you have about how these works are being carried out. If you have any questions or concerns about this work that you would like to raise directly with Network Rail, you can contact them using their 24-Hour National Helpline on 08457 11 41 41.

Please note that Network Rail plan for some initial preparatory work, such as platform wiring, to be carried out on weekend evenings in February, but they have assured me this should not be noisy or disruptive. Again, if residents, businesses or passengers, do not find this to be the case, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Thanks and best wishes,

Chuka

www.chuka.org.uk | www.twitter.com/ChukaUmunna

Streatham MP Chuka Umunna has said the government deserve half-marks on Thameslink as the government bow to community pressure to keep a through-London service running but rule out running more trains per hour.

Mr Umunna has been campaigning on the need to improve and maintain the Thameslink service since 2008, before he was elected as the MP for the Streatham parliamentary constituency, when he set up the Save Our South West London Thameslink Services campaign to protest against the proposals.

This Summer Mr Umunna appealed ‘to as many members of the community as possible to respond to the government’s consultation’ as part of a final push to secure the future of Thameslink services. The government revealed today that 2,200 people had responded to the consultation to say they were in favour of retaining the through-London service.

Mr Umunna set four key tests for the government to meet on the future of Thameslink services, saying that the status quo was not acceptable. Whilst the government announced good news that the through-London service would be maintained, there will also be disappointment at the government’s announcement that the frequency of Thameslink services running through Streatham, Tulse Hill and the rest of the Wimbledon loop will not be increased.

1. That a through London Service be maintained so that commuters from Streatham, Tulse Hill, and the other stations along the Wimbledon loop do not find that their trains terminate at Blackfriars
2. That the frequency of Thameslink services running through Streatham, Tulse Hill and the rest of the Wimbledon loop is increased to increase capacity.
3. That longer trains can run through Streatham, Tulse Hill and the rest of the Wimbledon loop, to decrease overcrowding.
4. That new trains are provided for services running through Streatham, Tulse Hill and the rest of the Wimbledon Loop.

The government is yet to announce whether new or longer trains will be provided for services running through Streatham, Tulse Hill and the rest of the Wimbledon Loop.

Commenting, Chuka Umunna MP, said:

“This announcement today will be brilliant news for every member of our community and an absolute relief for all those who took part in the massive community campaign to maintain our through-London service. The possibility that our through-London service might be cut was always an absurd proposition so the most I can give the government for this announcement is half-marks but what we really need is newer, longer, more frequent trains.

“The fact that the government ignored all calls for extra trains to run from the station, and they still haven’t come forward as to whether we’ll get the longer, new trains that would help reduce overcrowding, is not satisfactory at all. However, I don’t want to take away from all those who campaigned so hard since we started this in 2008.

“Our community should celebrate this victory of sorts but I won’t stop campaigning for newer, longer, more frequent trains. I hope the government is starting to learn they can’t treat the transport needs of my constituents with the contempt they’ve shown up to now.” 

Click here to read the government announcement.

Transport Minister Simon Burns has confirmed that Ministers will decide on the future of Thameslink commuter train services to South West London imminently Streatham MP Chuka Umunna has learnt.

The government’s upcoming decision on the future of the Thameslink franchise, currently operated by First Capital Connect has been hugely controversial.  Many thousands of commuters face losing their cross London commuter train service from stations in Streatham and Tulse Hill in Lambeth and other stations along the whole of the Wimbledon loop including Tooting, Mitcham, Wimbledon and Merton, which connects South West London to the City, St Pancras International and Luton airport.

Mr Umunna has been campaigning on the need to improve and maintain the Thameslink service since 2008, before he was elected as the MP for the Streatham parliamentary constituency.  In 2008 he set up the Save Our South West London Thameslink Services campaign and Facebook group to protest against the proposals.

Mr Umunna met with the Minister of State for Transport, Simon Burns, this week. Contrary to some reports, the Minister said no decision has been reached about the future of Thameslink Services yet.  However, during their meeting the Minister confirmed that Network Rail and the Franchise operator, First Capital Connect, will shortly be making a recommendation to Ministers who will then decide on the future of the Thameslink Service.  The Minister said a decision and an announcement on the future of the Wimbledon loop would be made “shortly.”  Mr Umunna expects a decision shortly before or after the Christmas break.

With regard to the future of Thameslink services, Mr Umunna has said ‘nothing less than a dramatic improvement of the status quo is acceptable’. He has set out four key tests for Ministers to meet when they make their decision. These are:

1. That a cross London Service be maintained so that commuters from Streatham, Tulse Hill and the other stations along the Wimbledon loop do not find that their trains terminate at Blackfriars;
2. That the frequency of Thameslink services running through Streatham, Tulse Hill and the rest of the Wimbledon loop is increased to increase capacity;
3. That longer trains can run through Streatham, Tulse Hill and the rest of the Wimbledon loop, to reduce overcrowding; and,
4. That new trains are provided for services running through Streatham, Tulse Hill and the rest of the Wimbledon Loop.

Commenting, Chuka Umunna MP said:

“With regard to the future of Thameslink Services, nothing less than a dramatic improvement on the status quo is acceptable. As I keep telling transport ministers, losing our cross-London Thameslink service should be kicked off the agenda.  Instead, what we want is a vast improvement on the service we are currently putting up with – which are trains that are old, overcrowded, and don’t run frequently enough.

“My constituents have suffered enough and are clear on what they expect – a cross London service with better, roomier, more frequent and newer trains.”

I remain absolutely determined to ensure that those businesses that have suffered from Network Rail’s disgraceful handling of the works at Streatham Common Station receive the proper compensation they deserve as soon as humanly possible. I hope all affected businesses have now received the information my office has been distributing about making a claim to Network Rail for compensation – if not, please don’t hesitate to contact me immediately.

If you have the information but have not yet submitted your claim, I would encourage you to do this as soon as you can. I would appreciate it if you would let me know when you submit claims, and when you receive a response, so that if there is any delay whatsoever in the process I can do everything I can to ensure that Network Rail pay the compensation our community deserves.

I will not give up until our businesses get their due from Network Rail.

Chuka

I wanted to provide a quick update as I have now received a partial response from Network Rail following the two emails I posted on Friday.

Claim form - I pointed out that the claim form they sent was not applicable to the circumstances. They confirmed that this is the form they use in all cases of loss (and ask businesses only to fill out the relevant parts). However, they have agreed that in this case businesses can at this stage write to them setting out their circumstances instead.

Proof requested – Network Rail had asked that businesses submit proof of loss in the form of “invoices, receipts, [and] quotations” – I pointed out this was totally inappropriate for most of the businesses affected. Network Rail have now agreed that if businesses prefer they can also provide them with figures of businesses’ takings for the whole of this month and for the equivalent month in the previous two years.

Specialist contact - At my request they have now provided a named individual (with an email address and phone number) for all compensation claims. If your business has been affected please contact my office who will be able to pass you this information.

I will post another update as soon as Network Rail have responded further to the points I raised in my last email to them (particularly about their criteria for compensation and the timescales for dealing with the claims), but please feel free to continue to contact me directly.

Further to my meeting with some of Network Rail’s Senior Officials on Wednesday, I have received the email below. I am sure constituents will appreciate that, as a substantive reply, their email is nowhere near acceptable, and will not provide the relief the local area deserves.  My response to Network Rail’s email today is immediately underneath.

Chuka.

Network Rail’s latest email:

“Thank you for your patience in waiting for this response. As promised, I wanted to come back to you today to update you on our progress in addressing the concerns that you raised with us at our meeting on Wednesday. As we acknowledged during our meeting, we fully recognise that our engagement with the community and particularly local businesses ahead of our work at Streatham Common did not meet the standards that we aspire to. We are grateful for the recognition that the work itself will deliver significant benefits for the area but we absolutely recognise the disruption it is causing and we are committed to being as responsive as we can from this point forward.

When we met you raised the issue of financial compensation for local businesses. As we set out in our meeting, we do not routinely provide compensation to businesses affected by our work sites unless we are legally obliged to do so. We did however undertake to supply our claim form and the accompanying cover letter in order that businesses who feel they may be entitled to compensation can apply. These are attached. At your request we also undertook to provide a single point of contact for local businesses seeking compensation. This contact is [Network Rail officer], who has agreed to handle all claims from businesses affected by this work. [Our Network Rail officer] can be contacted at [email].I hope you will understand that I am not in a position to offer any guarantees on this matter but the claims we receive will be helpful in allowing us to judge the extent of the impact our work is having and highlighting where mitigation measures may be most valuable.

We are, however, sympathetic to the situation that the local businesses in Streatham are in and, if there are any other measures that businesses feel we can take to help then we would, of course consider them. Over the weekend posters will also go up at the station to inform people that the businesses on Greyhound Lane are open as usual in order to encourage as much passing foot traffic as possible. I recognise that this is a very small measure but I hope it is helpful. Further to your advice, our project team have also now been in touch with Woodmansterne Primary School, in addition to Granton Primary School to discuss what we could do to reduce the impact of disruption for pupils and parents.

Turning to the other issues that you raised with us, including the need for an apology to the community for our unacceptable lack of engagement before the works began, I can confirm that a letter of apology will be issued next week. This will also include an invitation to another public meeting in December that we have now arranged to offer local people a chance to raise concerns and be updated on our work.

Finally, you raised with us the issue of over-crowded shuttle buses at peak times before and after school. We have subsequently asked Transport for London to supply us with data about the general usage of the shuttle buses and we are looking at the feasibility of running additional services before and after school.

I recognise that the above is very much the beginning of our work to rectify our earlier lack of engagement on this work and would like to reiterate our commitment to communicating better with the local community throughout the work. I will, of course, continue to keep you updated on progress.”

My Response:

Thank you for your email which I am afraid to say is not at all satisfactory.  I have a number of questions at first reading:

1. Can you confirm this is the correct form?  It seems to be targeted towards a specific accident or incident and refer to lost goods rather than lost trade.  This form will be very hard for the businesses to engage with meaningfully.  Can you confirm this is the same form completed by larger companies in the affected area?  In the circumstances, could you explain why this form has been felt most appropriate rather than one far more suited to the situation faced by the shops?
2. Although you do not usually compensate where not legally obliged to do so, the impression given at our meeting was that if businesses can demonstrate they have suffered a loss due to the works you would look to compensate.  The email below seems simply to suggest that you are committed to providing a claim form, but suggests you will only compensate when legally obliged to do so (regardless of whether the businesses have suffered a loss as a result of the works). I would be grateful for immediate clarification.
3. In the meeting I asked for a commitment regarding the timeframe in which the claims from the businesses would be processed.  The letter attached suggests the forms would be acknowledged within 14 days (which is an excessive wait for an acknowledgement in these circumstances) and gives no further indication of timetable.  Can you confirm how long the claims will take to be acknowledged and processed?
4. The letter asks for proof of loss in the form of “invoices, receipts, [and] quotations”.  I presume in cases such as this, when it is loss of trade that is the issue, it is proof of previous and current trading figures that are required – as I’m not sure how invoices, receipts or quotations would be applicable. Again, it would be helpful if you could provide further information that will allow the shops to understand what they are being asked and make a claim.
5. Another issue discussed at the meeting was the criteria Network Rail intend to use to assess the level of compensation; would it be possible to provide full details of this?
6. Could you please provide a phone contact for [your Network Rail officer] in order for the shops to contact [your Network Rail officer] by phone? I know that some of the local businesses do not use email.

I look forward to hearing from you urgently, as the information emailed and attached to the email does not reflect our meeting earlier in the week and seems in no way adequate to help the businesses in claiming compensation for their losses, nor does it reflect the gravity of the situation they are facing.

Kind regards,

Chuka

Local residents will be aware of the awful problems there are with the platform extension being carried out by Network Rail at Streatham Common Station and the associated closure of the Greyhound Lane Bridge.

This morning I met with three senior officials from Network Rail to discuss the appalling situation. Some of you living locally may be aware that already people have lost their jobs and that businesses are suffering from a severe loss of takings. It’s taking hours for kids to get to school, there have been serious concerns about the traffic plans network rail put in place, and the communications effort from Network Rail has been appalling.

Following advice from the Health and Safety Inspectorate, I am told that the traffic management situation is now resolved. However, if anybody has any fears, or any doubts at all, that this is the case, please contact me as soon as possible. Network Rail also assured me that they are looking in to how to increase capacity on the replacement bus services, particularly at peak times including the end of the school day.

While I hope Network Rail are now finally getting to grips with the situation, this will not make up for the fact of what has gone wrong, and I have demanded that Network Rail issue an apology as soon as possible to everyone who has been adversely affected.

For those who have lost their jobs, this will of course be of little comfort. I am determined that everything possible is done to protect the businesses in the area who are suffering from dramatically lowered footfall. For this, compensation is absolutely essential.

I told Network Rail in no uncertain terms that they should immediately create a single point of contact for businesses and make sure that local businesses receive all the information they need to get the compensation they deserve. Network Rail seemed finally to have understood that they have made mistakes and seem willing to put it right – whether they compensate businesses affected will be the key.

I share the strong feelings so many of you have conveyed to me about this. I will not rest until Network Rail have resolved these problems and until the local businesses who have worked so hard to survive the recession can get redress.

To report any concerns whatsoever to me, particularly about safety, please see my contact page for details of how to get in touch.

Streatham MP Chuka Umunna has demanded Network Rail bosses make an apology and ensure proper compensation for local businesses for the damage caused by the organisation’s mishandling of works around Greyhound Lane in his constituency.

As he told senior Network Rail officials that the ‘future of the area is in your hands’, Mr Umunna warned that the area around Greyhound Lane risked becoming a ‘boarded-up district’ if businesses were not sufficiently compensated for Network Rail’s mishandling of the works.

Admitting that Network Rail had made serious mistakes, the bosses told Mr Umunna that Network Rail ‘should have done better’, saying ‘we hold up our hands’: The bosses acknowledged to Mr Umunna that ‘the disruption to businesses has been worse than we thought’, admitting the project had not previously even had a budget line for compensation. The bosses were clear that Network Rail had made mistakes, telling Mr Umunna that their priority now was ‘to be as responsible as we possibly can’.

Mr Umunna told the Network Rail bosses that it would be impossible for them to fully make up for the damage caused to the local area, telling the bosses that at least four employees had already been laid off as a result of the works and that takings had suffered severely in the affected businesses.

As well as an apology sent to all local residents, Mr Umunna’s demands included that a single point of contact be created for affected businesses, that full and accurate information about claiming compensation would be sent to all those affected and that small businesses would not be treated unfairly compared to big businesses.

Mr Umunna told Network Rail bosses that a long wait for compensation would be totally unacceptable for local businesses, which have already been struggling for far too long and need the compensation they deserve. Network Rail bosses agreed to contact all the affected businesses and to appoint a single point of contact to provide information for them to claim compensation.

Mr Umunna, who has been in contact with Network Rail numerous times in the past several weeks, has tabled parliamentary questions to require answers from the Secretary of State for Transport and the whole ministerial transport team on the issue. Mr Umunna has received a large amount of correspondence about this issue and recently went to Streatham Vale to talk through the issue with many of the businesses most affected.

Commenting, Streatham MP Chuka Umunna, said:

“Network Rail’s handling of the works in the Streatham Vale part of my constituency has been an absolute disgrace. Failure after failure has led to danger on our roads and massive disruption for kids who need to get to school and tired commuters who need to get home; it has meant that businesses have been left reeling, with takings severely down and footfall plummeting.

It is intolerable that the huge personal sacrifices local business owners and workers have put in to see their businesses through the recession has now been jeopardised by complete incompetence.

“These businesses need compensation for the wrongs they have suffered. They need compensation and they need it quickly. Delays will mean more lay-offs. Insufficient payments will mean more lay-offs.

“Network Rail will never be able to fully make up for the harm that’s been caused, but there’s a lot they can do to relieve the stark situation that businesses are now facing. Proper compensation is the key. I am determined to do everything within my power to make sure Network Rail turn around this disgraceful situation.

“I hope sincerely that the reassurances Network Rail have given me over the last several weeks about this project, particularly that the road safety situation is now improved, are correct. It is appalling that this was ever not the case. If anyone has any concerns about this at all, or anything else to do with this issue, I urge them to contact me immediately.

“The rage there is locally about this is undoubtedly justified. I share the strong feelings of my constituents on this issue and I will not rest until Network Rail sort this out.”

Almost everyone living in the Streatham Vale part of my constituency will know of the major disruption being caused by the closure of Greyhound Lane bridge and the ongoing work at Streatham Common Station.

Network Rail’s handling of these works has been totally unsatisfactory. The unnecessary disruption caused to local businesses and our community is completely unacceptable and I am particularly concerned about the safety implications of the temporary traffic management system that has been put in place.

I have been receiving regular complaints from residents and businesses about virtually every aspect of the work being carried out – huge numbers of people have told me they’ve still not had any written communication from Network Rail at all, they’ve had no information on shuttle buses, shuttle buses don’t come anywhere near frequently enough and when they do arrive they are full. People have told me they are getting stranded and that it’s taking hours for kids to get to school. Businesses are suffering and residents tell me the temporary traffic measures are dangerous.

I have written to Network Rail about the works but their response has been wholly inadequate.  Initially, they only sent out 1300 leaflets informing residents of the work – sending out so few leaflets shows a lack of appreciation of how many people’s lives would be disrupted by the bridge works.

Network Rail have since assured me they’ve now written to 12,000 households but from the correspondence I’ve been receiving from constituents, this doesn’t seem to have been anywhere near enough. Again, this is unacceptable given the massive disruption being caused to our community.

As a result of the continuing disruption, the possibility that work could be extended even further into the future, and the continuing shortcomings in communications from Network Rail despite assurances they have made to me, I have requested an urgent meeting with the Chief Executive of Network Rail, David Higgins, to demand action.  I am also tabling Parliamentary Questions asking the Secretary of State for Transport to tell me what they are going to do about this.

I will shortly have a promised meeting with one of the Department for Transport’s Ministerial team about the cessation of our through-London Thameslink Services, a prospect which could seriously undermine our local economy. I’ve requested an extension to this planned meeting to discuss the bridge closure and the negative impact the work is having too.

I will update again once I have met with Network Rail’s senior officials and the Transport Secretary has responded.

If you are experiencing disruption due to these works please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Many thanks.

Chuka

There are now just ten days left to respond to the government’s consultation on Thameslink services, including the possiblity that Thameslink services will no longer operate from Streatham and Tulse Hill to the City of London, King’s Cross and Luton Airport.

You can respond to the government’s consultation, and tell them how you feel about the need to retain Thameslink services between Streatham, Tulse Hill and the City of London, King’s Cross, and Luton Airport by email.

For more information on the Thameslink consulation, please visit http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2012-23/