Transport for London is considering paving over nine major London roads, including parts of the North Circular, to enable development of hundreds of acres of land.
Responding to a Freedom of Information request from EG, TfL said it had conducted studies on a long list of potential places to sink roads and had then conducted feasibility studies on nine specific areas.
Sinking sections of major arterial roads would connect communities, enable housing development and provide more public space.
TfL specifically identified three sites where the proposed decking over the current road would be appropriate for substantial development: Leyton, E10, Leytonstone, E11, and Poplar, E14.
The other six plans “are associated with potential development in the area”.
In instances where commercial development on the roads would not be undertaken, parks or other public realm would most likely be built as a centrepiece.
TfL said: “All nine schemes, although technically feasible, have significant construction costs and therefore the challenge remains identifying a funding package to deliver them in a constrained financial environment.
“None of the proposals have yet been developed beyond the feasibility stage, and have not been subject to public consultation.”
The costs associated with rebuilding such infrastructure means the feasibility of each project will largely be determined by the cash that TfL is able to recoup from any new development through mechanisms such as future business rates.
While London’s boroughs are responsible for 95% of the city’s streets, TfL controls 2,550km of lane carriageway and core roads carrying the highest volumes of traffic.
According to the Streets Ahead report, released by TfL and NLA in early 2016, cities such as Boston, Oslo and Madrid have all successfully decked over major arterial roads.
The report said: “Schemes such as the proposed A13 Riverside Tunnel at Barking and decking over the A3 at Tolworth could increase development opportunities, which in turn could provide funding.”
TfL’s nine potential sunken roads
A13 at Barking Riverside
With L&Q’s 10,000 homes at Barking Riverside to the south, developing in the town centre and further potential to the east, the site has the potential to reconnect the town centre.
Sino-Australian company ASF has signed a £5.5bn development agreement with Barking & Dagenham council to create a new neighbourhood for 15,000 homes by burying a 0.8-mile stretch of the A13 trunk road and three Chinese contractors have linked with ASF to develop the 3.7m sq ft Castle Green scheme.
A launch ceremony for the partnership between the borough and ASF was held on 24 March at Barking Town Hall, during which the three Chinese builders were handed “strategic partnership certificates” by council leader Darren Rodwell.
A1261 at Poplar
The Isle of Dogs and South Poplar Spatial Planning Framework references a potential new decked connection over Aspen Way (A1261).
This would connect Canary Wharf and its new residential tower to the existing estates to the north, and new developments such as the creation of 1,600 homes on the site of the former Robin Hood Estate at Blackwall Reach.
Costs for the huge decking, and connecting the DLR railway sidings to Billingsgate Fish Market have been rumoured to cost £600m.
At the moment, the A1261 acts as a barricade to the peninsula. TfL specifically said this particular decking could be built on.
A4 at Hammersmith and A3 at Tolworth
The Hammersmith roundabout and flyover are well-known congestion points in the London traffic system, and separate Hammersmith town centre from the riverfront.
At Tolworth, where plans have already been drawn up, the intention would be to create more open space, reduce noise and create a better link between the station and town centre. Meyer Homes, with its adjoining site of nearly 1,000 homes, would benefit greatly.
A406 at New Southgate
The North Circular bisects an industrial park in the proposed area and the Ladderswood Estate, which is being regenerated by One Housing and Sherrygreen. Hollickwood Park also currently runs alongside the road.
Sinking the road would lead to potential development on nearby sites, while it could coincide with the potential Crossrail 2 station at New Southgate.
A12 at Leyton and the A12 at Leytonstone
Near both Tube stations, the A12 bisects the east London centres and the various commercial areas and retail parks surrounding them. TfL has specifically said these two stretches have the potential for the decking to be built on, which could create more centralised town centres.
A40 at Savoy Circus
Close to East Acton Station, the road bisects a large amount of housing and acts as a natural barrier to the town centre.
There is an enormous amount of development happening in the surrounding area, from Crossrail at Old Oak to various schemes at North Acton, and the new Crossrail station at Acton mainline. Removing the road could bring a huge swathe of East Acton into the fold.
A316 at Chalkers Corner
To the south of Kew and west of Mortlake, the busy road divides housing from the green spaces to the north, while also acting as a barrier to the town centre clustered around North Sheen Station to the west.
A chance to reclaim the city
Jennifer Ross, director, Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design
As we need to intensify the city, the initiative provides an opportunity address the negative environmental and health impacts of the motor car.
Yes, the costs will be high, but the benefits of such initiatives could be city-wide, alongside creating new open spaces and places to live.
It presents a great opportunity to reconnect and reunite communities and places that were severed and cut off as a result of insensitive road engineering undertaken in the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies.
Work we have done in Elephant and Castle and for the Westway Development Trust examined the impact of large-scale road engineering on communities situated either side. We found it meant parts of the city became marooned and forgotten, in turn impacting on development.
But in addition to creating new economic and regeneration opportunities, it could allow for the delivery of significant environmental, ecological and health benefits.
Such benefits should be evaluated and understood alongside any potential financial costs.
And given the potential benefits, finance from a variety of sources, including business rates, CIL, development-related section 106s should be explored to help facilitate and deliver the programme.
It should be seen in the context of a gradual reclaiming of the streets for the pedestrian.
