Great news! Peckham Rye station to reclaim its public square by next year!

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

Demolition of the crappy dishevelled shopping arcade in front of Peckham Rye station is going ahead, and by end next year there will be a public square on Peckham's main shopping street. This is excellent!

Hopefully it unlocks vision and funding for an upgrade to the station itself for lifts, accessibility etc.

https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/demolition-of-the-shopping-arcade-blocking-peckham-rye-station-to-start-this-summer-80737/

[CPR Dave]

Hopefully it fares better than the public space outside the library / leisure centre

[jazzer]

believe it when it happens as their is so much work to be done to achieve what will be a beautiful square and in keeping with what the station probably originally looked like. 

[malumbu]

Thank you DKH, it's a shame the next two posters brought the mood down, with two others thinking that this was appropriate.

Edited; and further doubt,doom and gloom, and opportunities to moan about Southwark following that.

Edited April 30 by malumbu

[jazzer]

Mal - shame you don't like my comment. Bringing the mood down, what planet are you on. I was stating facts, and those can't be disputed, even by you. 

[Nigello]

Great! Can’t wait for the added embellishment à la spray can, to fit in with the general Rye Lane “ambience”. 

[ArchieCarlos]

The reason why this time it feels believable that it will actually happen is that the council has at last awarded the contracts for the works to BAM Nuttall. 

[Earl Aelfheah]

Looks like it will be a massive improvement.

Edited April 30 by Earl Aelfheah

[rollflick]

Yes it could be a massive improvement and useful to hear that contracts have finally been awarded. I totally understand though why doubts are expressed about when the new square will open.

This 2012 BBC article about mayoral funding after the London 2011 riots says "In Southwark, which saw parts of Peckham hit by the rioters, there are plans to redevelop Peckham Rye station". https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19167948

A decade later, the first phase on Blenheim Grove - the white buildings with the new roof deck - was kind of completed by summer 2022. Yet three years on those buildings are still covered with hoardings, gathering ever more graffiti. There has been no clear or coherent explanation from Southwark why, just some excuses of water ingress. How much rent must have been lost in that time and who has taken the resultant financial hit?

In that context is it unreasonable to doubt that the new square will be fully opened next year - rather we'll get a fenced in walkway leading through an 80% completed square that we're forced to squeeze through for years to come? Dare I also remind people that the reality of what was built on Blenheim Grove didn't look as good as the renders. With construction inflation recently so high, it's valid to ask how the resultant funding gap for the main phases of this scheme will be bridged.

It's not just Southwark's inability to manage major projects that are a concern but also its senior leadership's reluctance to be transparent about problems let alone make any visible efforts to tackle them.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Fully appreciate your concerns rollflick, but (as you say) it's good news that contracts have finally been awarded. Feels like people want to bemoan its failure before work has even started, which seems a tad negative.

[alice]

It’s just the way things are prioritised how much was spent on revamping that waiting room to show exclusive art shows while  there are still no usable lifts to the platforms

[Earl Aelfheah]

  On 07/05/2025 at 10:32, alice said:

It’s just the way things are prioritised how much was spent on revamping that waiting room to show exclusive art shows while  there are still no usable lifts to the platforms

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I think it's a false dichotomy. Lift maintenance is a priority and I doubt the delays in fixing them is to do with lack of funding. Whether they go ahead with this scheme of not, will make zero difference to how lift maintenance is being managed.

There seems to be general opposition to any form of change across this forum. 

Edited May 7 by Earl Aelfheah

[alice]

You clearly don’t know Peckham Rye station there are lifts but they’re not available to the public. Actually, they were  briefly made available when the art exhibition was on.  Priorites again. 

Edited May 7 by alice

[jazzer]

Anything that improves the front of the station has to be a good thing. Opening up the square in front is a superb idea, it will show the beauty of the architecture of the station, just as they did at Kings Cross when they ripped out the monstrosity of the 1960's frontage and now the station gleams. People probably go there to see the beauty of it. Now wouldn't it be good if once opened up and cleaned up, people visited to see how wonderful it then looks.

I guess there is a generally lack of trust that the station square will open by the end of next year, HOWEVER, when the current frontage is removed and the square is opened up as it originally was it will look grand.  

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

  On 07/05/2025 at 12:09, alice said:

 there are lifts but they’re not available to the public. Actually, they were  briefly made available when the art exhibition was on.  Priorites again. 

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Whose priorities?

Peckham Rye station is operated by Southern Railway. Southwark Council doesn’t own or operate the station, and it can't force Southern or anyone else to install lifts at the station.

I'd love there to be lifts at Peckham Rye. It would be very expensive.

[Sue]

I'm confused.

If there are no lifts, does that mean people who are in wheelchairs or who otherwise can't easily  walk, or who have heavy wheeled cases which they can't lift up and down stairs,  can't use Peckham Rye station?

I'd have thought that was against some or other disability legislation?

[Earl Aelfheah]

  On 07/05/2025 at 12:09, alice said:

You clearly don’t know Peckham Rye station there are lifts but they’re not available to the public. Actually, they were  briefly made available when the art exhibition was on.  Priorites again. 

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Oh OK. I do use Peckham Rye station regularly, and couldn't picture any lifts, so that explains it. Are you sure that there is nothing in the new plans to reinstate lift access? 

The plans to open up the front of the station feels like a good news story. There does seem to be a general objection to any public realm improvements locally, which I just find weird.

Edited May 7 by Earl Aelfheah

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

  On 07/05/2025 at 14:23, Sue said:

I'm confused.

If there are no lifts, does that mean people who are in wheelchairs or who otherwise can't easily  walk, or who have heavy wheeled cases which they can't lift up and down stairs,  can't use Peckham Rye station?

I'd have thought that was against some or other disability legislation?

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Yes, they can't use the station. Same as East Dulwich (into London), West Dulwich and North Dulwich...and dozens if not hundreds of tube stations.

No, it's not against the law because existing stuff was grandfathered in or got waivers. New and upgraded stations have to be accessible.

[Sue]

  On 07/05/2025 at 14:53, Dogkennelhillbilly said:

Yes, they can't use the station. Same as East Dulwich (into London), West Dulwich and North Dulwich...and dozens if not hundreds of tube stations.

No, it's not against the law because existing stuff was grandfathered in or got waivers. New and upgraded stations have to be accessible.

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East Dulwich has a ramp doesn't it? 

It certainly does on the way to the platform to go to London Bridge 

 

Edited May 7 by Sue

[Angelina]

Step Free Access is down the to the Rail company and not the council. It definitely needs to be done, although Denmark Hill is Step Free and not too far, which may be why they haven't done it (yet)

[Brian up the hill]

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/kent/kent-and-south-east-london-railway-upgrade-plan/peckham-rye-station-redevelopment/

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

  On 07/05/2025 at 14:54, Sue said:

East Dulwich has a ramp doesn't it? 

It certainly does on the way to the platform to go to London Bridge 

 

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I thought it has stairs on that direction and a ramp in the other. My memory might be failing me - I'm usually undercaffeinated when I use that entrance of that station...

[Earl Aelfheah]

  On 07/05/2025 at 15:10, Brian up the hill said:

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/kent/kent-and-south-east-london-railway-upgrade-plan/peckham-rye-station-redevelopment/

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For those who haven't clicked on the link:

  Quote

The upgrade will make the station fully accessible with more capacity and better facilities for passengers

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...the improvements do include lift access to all platforms 

Edited May 7 by Earl Aelfheah

[Sally Eva]

That's great. Queen's Rd Peckham otherwise the closest with lift access

[Sue]

  On 07/05/2025 at 15:14, Dogkennelhillbilly said:

I thought it has stairs on that direction and a ramp in the other. My memory might be failing me - I'm usually undercaffeinated when I use that entrance of that station...

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It has stairs and a ramp!