Local London Assembly Member backs Woodgrange Park station
to receive step-free funding
Local London Assembly Member Unmesh Desai AM, has backed Woodgrange Park station to secure vital Government funding to improve accessibility and step-free access, echoing recommendations made by the Mayor of London.
Last year, the Government published its Inclusive Transport Strategy and, as part of this, allocated an extra £300 million for its Access for All programme. The funding will be made available for step-free access improvements at selected railway stations across the UK between 2019 and 2024.
Unmesh Desai AM is calling upon the Government to provide a portion of this investment for Woodgrange Park, which could go towards the installation of lifts, new ramps and footbridges and accessible ticket gates and toilets.
In a letter to the Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, published in November 2018, the Mayor of London featured Woodgrange Park in a priority list of which stations should receive the Access for All Funding.
It has been confirmed that the list of successful nominated stations will be announced in April 2019.
Local London Assembly Member Unmesh Desai AM, said:
“We need to do everything possible to ensure local residents with disabilities and mobility issues can access transport links across the capital.
“We have seen the current Mayor significantly boost investment in step-free access across the tube, but there are still glaring gaps to be filled along the underground and rail networks, such as at Woodgrange Park.
“Improving accessibility here would make a huge difference to the lives of local people, vastly improving what is usually a complicated and stressful experience for people with disabilities, the elderly, and parents with pushchairs when navigating London’s transport system.
“This is why I urge the Government to take the Mayor’s recommendations on board and allocate a share of the Access for All funding to Woodgrange Park.
ENDS
Related documents
Letter from Mayor of London to Secretary of State for Transport
Notes to editors
- In July 2018, the Government published its Inclusive Transport Strategy and, as part of this, allocated an extra £300 million for its Access for All programme;
- In a letter to the Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, published in November 2018, the Mayor of London featured Woodgrange Park in a priority list of which stations should receive the Access for All Funding. You can find a copy of this letter attached;
- It has been confirmed that the list of successful nominated stations will be announced in April 2019;
- As part of a separate scheme, the Mayor of London has also invested an additional £200m to ensure that 40% of the tube network will be made step-free by March 2022;
- Unmesh Desai AM is the London Assembly Member for Newham
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