TfL plans to demolish Kingston Cromwell Rd Bus Stn

[thelondonthing]

A quick recap and *drumroll* an update. 

In February 2019, Kingston Council granted planning permission for the demolition of Cromwell Road Bus Station, subject to TfL providing supplementary documentation to satisfy several conditions of the permission to proceed.

In December 2019, TfL complied with the last of the conditions needed to satisfy planning permission, enabling it to proceed with the project. With an open tender for the works, it appeared that things were finally going to move forward.

...and then came the pandemic. Unsurprisingly, there was no further progress as the coronavirus crisis took hold, and then TfL's financial problems took centre stage.

However, it seems that TfL is now preparing to move ahead with the project.

TfL has issued a fresh tender notice, inviting new bids for the demolition of the bus station and construction of its replacement. The new tender notice was published on 12 January, and there's a firm deadline for bids to be submitted by 12 February.

As previously stated, the works are scheduled to last roughly 18 months. Much of the new tender notice is identical to the previous version. However, this time, there is slightly more detailed phrasing in one particular area - specifically, regarding the provision of facilities for bus stands during the bus station closure:

Temporary welfare facilities will be provided for bus drivers throughout the demolition and rebuilding phases of the works as the bus standing spaces will be relocated away from the bus station to locations where welfare facilities do not exist. These facilities will be provided and maintained by the contractor.

The section highlighted in bold/underline above was not part of the previous tender notice. This is pure conjecture, but it could be inferred from the new phrasing that TfL has now identified where the temporary stands will be located, which - if true - would imply a degree of specificity in TfL's planning that indicates we're a lot closer to the project finally happening than ever before.

(Of course, it could simply be that someone just decided to expand on the phrasing of that paragraph to provide more information to tender applicants, and that nothing further should be read into it than that - after all, it is ever so slightly bleedin' obvious that the temporary bus stands will be "away from the bus station"...)

But the fact that TfL has just issued a new tender notice for the project, and that it's seeking companies to bid on it with a final deadline three weeks from now, certainly suggests that the demolition and rebuild of Cromwell Road Bus Station is finally getting close.

That said, I think there are valid questions to be asked about whether or not this project is an immediate necessity, given TfL's current financial situation, and the uncertainty surrounding demand for bus travel as the economy recovers - and reconfigures - after the pandemic. For example, how important is it to improve pedestrian flow through the bus station right now, if bus travel could take years to return to its pre-pandemic levels, if at all?

There's a strong argument to be made for preparing for the future, of course. But when TfL is in a position where cuts need to be made to ensure its economic stability over the next decade and beyond, how strong is the case for imminently rebuilding a bus station that remains largely fit for purpose, and ready to meet short-to-medium term demand, especially when the replacement is - in terms of functionality, layout, footprint, and capacity - so similar to the current facility? 

[snowman]

Jan 24, 2021 4:03:59 GMT thelondonthing said:

A quick recap and *drumroll* an update. 

In February 2019, Kingston Council granted planning permission for the demolition of Cromwell Road Bus Station, subject to TfL providing supplementary documentation to satisfy several conditions of the permission to proceed.

In December 2019, TfL complied with the last of the conditions needed to satisfy planning permission, enabling it to proceed with the project. With an open tender for the works, it appeared that things were finally going to move forward.

...and then came the pandemic. Unsurprisingly, there was no further progress as the coronavirus crisis took hold, and then TfL's financial problems took centre stage.

However, it seems that TfL is now preparing to move ahead with the project.

TfL has issued a fresh tender notice, inviting new bids for the demolition of the bus station and construction of its replacement. The new tender notice was published on 12 January, and there's a firm deadline for bids to be submitted by 12 February.

As previously stated, the works are scheduled to last roughly 18 months. Much of the new tender notice is identical to the previous version. However, this time, there is slightly more detailed phrasing in one particular area - specifically, regarding the provision of facilities for bus stands during the bus station closure:

Temporary welfare facilities will be provided for bus drivers throughout the demolition and rebuilding phases of the works as the bus standing spaces will be relocated away from the bus station to locations where welfare facilities do not exist. These facilities will be provided and maintained by the contractor.

The section highlighted in bold/underline above was not part of the previous tender notice. This is pure conjecture, but it could be inferred from the new phrasing that TfL has now identified where the temporary stands will be located, which - if true - would imply a degree of specificity in TfL's planning that indicates we're a lot closer to the project finally happening than ever before.

(Of course, it could simply be that someone just decided to expand on the phrasing of that paragraph to provide more information to tender applicants, and that nothing further should be read into it than that - after all, it is ever so slightly bleedin' obvious that the temporary bus stands will be "away from the bus station"...)

But the fact that TfL has just issued a new tender notice for the project, and that it's seeking companies to bid on it with a final deadline three weeks from now, certainly suggests that the demolition and rebuild of Cromwell Road Bus Station is finally getting close.

That said, I think there are valid questions to be asked about whether or not this project is an immediate necessity, given TfL's current financial situation, and the uncertainty surrounding demand for bus travel as the economy recovers - and reconfigures - after the pandemic. For example, how important is it to improve pedestrian flow through the bus station right now, if bus travel could take years to return to its pre-pandemic levels, if at all?

There's a strong argument to be made for preparing for the future, of course. But when TfL is in a position where cuts need to be made to ensure its economic stability over the next decade and beyond, how strong is the case for imminently rebuilding a bus station that remains largely fit for purpose, and ready to meet short-to-medium term demand, especially when the replacement is - in terms of functionality, layout, footprint, and capacity - so similar to the current facility? 

Perhaps I’m cynical, but tenders were called for previously, and not proceeded with. If TfL didn’t accept (or couldn’t afford) the bids, I can’t suddenly see how they will like the new bids especially if they have added something (which is logically going to increase price). I suppose bids could be lower, or TfL prepared to pay more, but I could easily see this getting delayed again

[thelondonthing]

Jan 24, 2021 7:20:28 GMT snowman said:

Jan 24, 2021 4:03:59 GMT thelondonthing said:

A quick recap and *drumroll* an update. 

In February 2019, Kingston Council granted planning permission for the demolition of Cromwell Road Bus Station, subject to TfL providing supplementary documentation to satisfy several conditions of the permission to proceed.

In December 2019, TfL complied with the last of the conditions needed to satisfy planning permission, enabling it to proceed with the project. With an open tender for the works, it appeared that things were finally going to move forward.

...and then came the pandemic. Unsurprisingly, there was no further progress as the coronavirus crisis took hold, and then TfL's financial problems took centre stage.

However, it seems that TfL is now preparing to move ahead with the project.

TfL has issued a fresh tender notice, inviting new bids for the demolition of the bus station and construction of its replacement. The new tender notice was published on 12 January, and there's a firm deadline for bids to be submitted by 12 February.

As previously stated, the works are scheduled to last roughly 18 months. Much of the new tender notice is identical to the previous version. However, this time, there is slightly more detailed phrasing in one particular area - specifically, regarding the provision of facilities for bus stands during the bus station closure:
The section highlighted in bold/underline above was not part of the previous tender notice. This is pure conjecture, but it could be inferred from the new phrasing that TfL has now identified where the temporary stands will be located, which - if true - would imply a degree of specificity in TfL's planning that indicates we're a lot closer to the project finally happening than ever before.

(Of course, it could simply be that someone just decided to expand on the phrasing of that paragraph to provide more information to tender applicants, and that nothing further should be read into it than that - after all, it is ever so slightly bleedin' obvious that the temporary bus stands will be "away from the bus station"...)

But the fact that TfL has just issued a new tender notice for the project, and that it's seeking companies to bid on it with a final deadline three weeks from now, certainly suggests that the demolition and rebuild of Cromwell Road Bus Station is finally getting close.

That said, I think there are valid questions to be asked about whether or not this project is an immediate necessity, given TfL's current financial situation, and the uncertainty surrounding demand for bus travel as the economy recovers - and reconfigures - after the pandemic. For example, how important is it to improve pedestrian flow through the bus station right now, if bus travel could take years to return to its pre-pandemic levels, if at all?

There's a strong argument to be made for preparing for the future, of course. But when TfL is in a position where cuts need to be made to ensure its economic stability over the next decade and beyond, how strong is the case for imminently rebuilding a bus station that remains largely fit for purpose, and ready to meet short-to-medium term demand, especially when the replacement is - in terms of functionality, layout, footprint, and capacity - so similar to the current facility? 

Perhaps I’m cynical, but tenders were called for previously, and not proceeded with. If TfL didn’t accept (or couldn’t afford) the bids, I can’t suddenly see how they will like the new bids especially if they have added something (which is logically going to increase price). I suppose bids could be lower, or TfL prepared to pay more, but I could easily see this getting delayed again

To be clear, TfL hasn't actually added anything to the project that wasn't covered under previous tendering rounds. Under the conditions of planning approval, TfL was required to provide additional detail regarding elements such as the bus station's 'organic' roof plantations, and the site's drainage strategy. None of these outstanding planning conditions will have added any substantive cost to the project.

An initial tender notice was issued before planning permission was granted. This is not uncommon - it helps the tendering agent to gauge interest in the project, on the understanding that the project may not be able to proceed unless certain conditions - and potential unknowns - are met, and that additional potential costs may be added at a later date.

Permission was eventually granted without any conditions requiring changes to the project itself (merely the provision of additional details to satisfy planning requirements).

A further tender notice was issued once planning permission was received, but in the midst of that tendering process, the pandemic struck. We can reasonably assume that this tendering round was issued by TfL with the intention of proceeding with the project, subject to the cost estimates of between £4m and £6m that were stated during the bidding process. We can also reasonably infer that things did not proceed because the pandemic struck less than two weeks after Kingston Council had given its final approval for the project to proceed after the remaining conditions for planning permission had been met (in mid-December 2019).

Now, with full planning permission granted, and with a clear awareness of the limitations of the pandemic - along with the financial constraints that it currently faces - TfL has issued a fresh tender notice for the project. It would be odd if TfL wasn't serious about moving ahead with the project at this stage... though not inconceivable.

It is possible that TfL is simply seeking fresh tenders so that it can 'book' the bids - i.e. get the very latest bids to cost the project for the current fiscal year - for administrative purposes, with the sole intention of declaring them financially unviable. For example, if TfL has already judged the project to be an unnecessary luxury, as a public body, it would be prudent to use the very latest figures to justify that determination, rather than relying on potentially out-of-date quotations for the costs associated with its delivery. It would then be able to cite the latest bids when stating that the cost of the project is too high to proceed with at this time.

For that reason, I agree: you're right to suggest that there's no guarantee that it will go ahead at this stage.

[thelondonthing]

A quick - and very minor - update ahead of the tender round closing on 12 February.

The tender for the redevelopment of Cromwell Road Bus Station is listed on GOV.UK:



Neither of the two previous rounds of tendering for the project were featured on the central Government website, but it's worth pointing out that - as highlighted in the screenshot - this appears to be a new 'beta' feature on GOV.UK, so it's not necessarily worth reading too much into that.

However, it is significant that the estimated cost of the contract is now £5m to £7m, up from £4m to £6m during the previous tender round. But given that there have been no substantive changes to the project since TfL previously invited bids for the project, and that inflation could not have had such a massive impact on cost projections, why has the cost increased (by up to 17%)? One possibility is that TfL understands that the costs of construction under coronavirus conditions will be higher than the previous estimate, which predated COVID-19.

If that's the case, then surely the question of whether this project is truly necessary in the current economic climate becomes even more significant.

[SILENCED]

Feb 9, 2021 22:29:57 GMT thelondonthing said:

A quick - and very minor - update ahead of the tender round closing on 12 February.

The tender for the redevelopment of Cromwell Road Bus Station is listed on GOV.UK:



Neither of the two previous rounds of tendering for the project were featured on the central Government website, but it's worth pointing out that - as highlighted in the screenshot - this appears to be a new 'beta' feature on GOV.UK, so it's not necessarily worth reading too much into that.

However, it is significant that the estimated cost of the contract is now £5m to £7m, up from £4m to £6m during the previous tender round. But given that there have been no substantive changes to the project since TfL previously invited bids for the project, and that inflation could not have had such a massive impact on cost projections, why has the cost increased (by up to 17%)? One possibility is that TfL understands that the costs of construction under coronavirus conditions will be higher than the previous estimate, which predated COVID-19.

If that's the case, then surely the question of whether this project is truly necessary in the current economic climate becomes even more significant.

Previously that would of had to been offered to tender on the EU site.

[snowman]

Feb 9, 2021 22:29:57 GMT thelondonthing said:

A quick - and very minor - update ahead of the tender round closing on 12 February.

The tender for the redevelopment of Cromwell Road Bus Station is listed on GOV.UK:



Neither of the two previous rounds of tendering for the project were featured on the central Government website, but it's worth pointing out that - as highlighted in the screenshot - this appears to be a new 'beta' feature on GOV.UK, so it's not necessarily worth reading too much into that.

However, it is significant that the estimated cost of the contract is now £5m to £7m, up from £4m to £6m during the previous tender round. But given that there have been no substantive changes to the project since TfL previously invited bids for the project, and that inflation could not have had such a massive impact on cost projections, why has the cost increased (by up to 17%)? One possibility is that TfL understands that the costs of construction under coronavirus conditions will be higher than the previous estimate, which predated COVID-19.

If that's the case, then surely the question of whether this project is truly necessary in the current economic climate becomes even more significant.

It has also made it into the TfL Programmes and Investment papers for 3rd March
Page 125 : £0.1m in financial year 20-21
Page 127 : £5m in 2021-2

content.tfl.gov.uk/pic-20210303-agenda-and-documents-public.pdf.pdf

[Deleted]

I wonder where the routes affected will stand ?

[Frenzie]

There’s a load of diversion signs up around Kingston with “Cromwell Road Bus Station closure” written on it. Could this be because work is starting?

[snowman]

May 6, 2021 15:24:31 GMT Frenzie said:

There’s a load of diversion signs up around Kingston with “Cromwell Road Bus Station closure” written on it. Could this be because work is starting?

Kingston Council traffic updates refer to lane closure outside bus station starting 17th to repair a 36 inch water main. Must be one of the huge pipes from Hampton water treatment works so presumably needs a big hole blocking bus station

[launchballer]

Apologies if this has already been posted elsewhere, but Surrey County Council's "Temporary changes to bus services for road closures" page was updated between 11:49am and 12:36pm earlier, to say that "all Diamond Buses, Falcon Buses, Reptons Coaches and Stagecoach services that would ordinarily serve the bus station will instead terminate and start their journeys from Birkenhead Avenue". (I use a web tracker.) Not aware yet of where the TfL routes will stand though.

[thelondonthing]

It's been a while since we heard anything about this bizarrely tortuous project (which was being publicly discussed back in 2013!).

A quick recap on the most 'recent' developments to date:

• Feb 2019: Kingston Council granted planning permission for demolition and replacement of Cromwell Road Bus Station, although further documentation was required to fulfil the requirements of the permit.
• Dec 2019: TfL met the requirements for the permit, allowing it to proceed.
• Feb 2020: TfL issued a tender notice for the project, valuing it at between £4m and £6m.
• Early 2020: The coronavirus crisis rapidly escalated.
• Jan 2021: TfL issued a fresh tender notice for the project, inviting bids to be submitted no later than 12 Feb 2021. The tender notice indicated that the project was expected to begin in early 2021, with a total contract duration period of 18 months, and now with a higher price tag of between £5m and £7m.
• ...and then nothing.

But today, the latest TfL Investment Programme Report was published for the meeting of the Programmes and Investment Committee, and it includes one small reference to the project, confirming that tenders are now being reviewed, and that TfL expects to appoint the winning bid(s) for the "renewal" of Cromwell Road Bus Station very soon:



"October 2021" - so TfL clearly intends to appoint the main contractor for the project imminently, a pretty strong indication that it is, at long last, going ahead.

That said, I wouldn't expect the bulldozers to move in just yet. There will obviously be a great deal of planning required before demolition can begin, and much of this planning cannot even begin until a contractor is appointed. 

Work on the site will also be complicated by the fact that it's an "Area of Archaeological Significance", as documented by Kingston Council in the planning documentation, which will place additional constraints on the project, and will add further complexities to the planning and delivery. 

I would be surprised if works begin before spring 2022, and it may well be later. Nonetheless, with the long-awaited appointment of a main contractor this month, Cromwell Road Bus Station (as we currently know it) will officially be living on borrowed time until its inevitable destruction and reincarnation.

When the contractor is appointed, the project effectively begins, and it is no longer an endless question of if it will happen, but when.

- - -

(...and just in case you've forgotten what TfL actually has planned for the new Cromwell Road Bus Station, there are images in one of my earlier posts here.)

[dashing0ne]

Feb 24, 2019 2:06:37 GMT MetrolineGA1511 said:

Feb 23, 2019 11:14:09 GMT sid said:

Does Mr Grayling have anything to do with the proposed demolition of Kingston bus station?

He might have something to do with what happens to Kingston - Epsom routes, as he's the MP for Epsom & Ewell.   

Sir Ed Davey, Leader of Lib Dems, is the MP for Kingson and Surbiton.

[thelondonthing]

Documentation published by TfL ahead of its next Programmes & Investment Committee - to be held on 15 December - appears to confirm that work on Cromwell Road Bus Station is ready to move forward.

Two short quotes on page 93 of the PDF specifically refer to the project.

Five-year expenditure is forecast to increase by £22m from the previous report, which is primarily driven by increased investment into the portfolio’s Major Asset Renewal projects. Examples include Blackwall Tunnel southbound refurbishment, Kingston Cromwell Road bus station refurbishment, as well as pier and tunnels renewals projects.

In the second quote, there is also explicit confirmation that the main contract has - finally (!!) - been awarded for the project:

Tender returns have been received on two key projects, Brent Cross structures and the renewal of Kingston Cromwell Road bus station and we have awarded the contracts for both.

I believe this is also the first time that the Cromwell Road Bus Station redevelopment has been referred to by TfL as a "key project".

As discussed in my previous post, the appointment of the main contractor is a massive milestone for the project - TfL has now committed, financially, to its completion within the timeframe defined in the tender. 

There is still the thorny matter of securing TfL's latest funding package with the Government, of course. However, it's essentially inevitable that TfL will get funding; and while some strings will obviously be attached, I very much doubt that those conditions will affect the delivery of shorter-term and relatively low-cost investment and maintenance projects to which TfL is already committed.

Assuming the funding does indeed materialise, it will surely be a matter of months before work finally begins.

[thelondonthing]

Almost nine full years (!!) since it was first discussed publicly, and four and a half years after the first tender notice (of many!) was officially published, TfL has appointed VolkerFitzpatrick as the main contractor to redevelop Cromwell Road Bus Station, at a cost of between £5m and £7m.

For those not familiar, VolkerFitzpatrick is a massive civil engineering firm with experience on a wide range of projects, including the Lewisham Gateway development, High Speed 2 construction through the Colne Valley, and construction of the new South Western Railway depot in Feltham. For a firm of their size, a small bus station in Kingston should be a doddle.

The brief contract description for the project in TfL's latest 'contracts awarded' documentation states that the contract will expire no earlier than March 2023 (note that this should not be interpreted as a final completion date for the project), and describes the works in general terms:

Construction works to redevelop the Kingston Cromwell Road bus station. The majority of detailed design has been delivered internally by TfL Engineering, however, M&E and Civils detailed design is to be completed by the Contractor, who will also be required to integrate the existing detailed design with their own.

A more detailed breakdown of works is available in the tender notice here on GOV.UK, and images of the new bus station can be found in this earlier post. 

[LD71YLO (BE37054)]

Dec 17, 2021 9:01:58 GMT thelondonthing said:

Almost nine full years (!!) since it was first discussed publicly, and four and a half years after the first tender notice (of many!) was officially published, TfL has appointed VolkerFitzpatrick as the main contractor to redevelop Cromwell Road Bus Station, at a cost of between £5m and £7m.

For those not familiar, VolkerFitzpatrick is a massive civil engineering firm with experience on a wide range of projects, including the Lewisham Gateway development, High Speed 2 construction through the Colne Valley, and construction of the new South Western Railway depot in Feltham. For a firm of their size, a small bus station in Kingston should be a doddle.

The brief contract description for the project in TfL's latest 'contracts awarded' documentation states that the contract will expire no earlier than March 2023 (note that this should not be interpreted as a final completion date for the project), and describes the works in general terms:

Construction works to redevelop the Kingston Cromwell Road bus station. The majority of detailed design has been delivered internally by TfL Engineering, however, M&E and Civils detailed design is to be completed by the Contractor, who will also be required to integrate the existing detailed design with their own.

A more detailed breakdown of works is available in the tender notice here on GOV.UK, and images of the new bus station can be found in this earlier post. 

Good to see it happen finally. I do think that the current bus station did need an upgrade, but I always liked the seating there. I do hope it is retained.