West End Lane roadworks - what's going to be happening

We've been asking transport officers for a full update on how the various
planned works will fit together. It's vital that the Council seeks as far as
it can to coordinate these works to minimise disruption to residents,
businesses and local traffic.

The three key projects are:

National Grid and EDF are undertaking major utility works on West End Lane
from April 2010 to June 2010.

West Hampstead Thameslink Station Upgrade - In December 2009, the Council
gave planning approval to Network Rail to construct a new station building
and public space on Iverson Road. The works are beginning on site now and
are expected to continue until October 2010.

West Hampstead Interchange Streetscape Project - this council-led project
seeks to improve the on-street interchange as well as making West End Lane
and Iverson Road safer and more attractive. The project has now been
designed in more detail and the project is ready to implement. But because
of the interaction with both the utility works, the Council's project will
be undertaken once these have been completed. The current plan is to begin
works on West End Lane in July 2010 (following the utility works) and on
Iverson Road in November 2010.

We can provide anyone interested with more detail on the station upgrade and
the streetscape project (there's a lot of detail), but for now please find
below some background on the utility works:

Major utility works

West End Lane has been the subject of a number of major works programmes
carried out by two Statutory Undertakers, Thames Water and National Grid,
over the past two years. Individually, both utilities identified the need to
carry out works to ameliorate the condition and performance of their network
to maintain an effective service provision to their customers. The works
have caused, and continue to cause a degree of disruption to the users of
the public highway.

However, the works in West End Lane are not complete. National Grid now need
to lay a new gas main across the 3 railway bridges on West End Lane (Tube,
Overground and Thameslink). In addition, EDF Energy wish to upgrade their
current supply on West End Lane between Blackburn Road and Lymington Road
(also including the section of the 3 stations).

Council officers have led discussions with both utility companies and have
taken an active role in ensuring that these works are now fully coordinated.
The contractors will therefore be using the same excavation and traffic
management which will significantly reduce disruption. The works are
expected to take place from 19th April 2010 to mid-August 2010.

Close coordination with bus networks, the Metropolitan Police and other key
stakeholders has been identified as a priority. The project group has agreed
detailed traffic management plans and these will be implemented, and
coordinated with other works which are taking place in and around the
Iverson Road junction. The project group is also meeting on a regular basis
to discuss issues/problems etc that are either identified by stakeholders or
members of the public who make their comments known to us. However, because
of the nature and the scale of these works, there is likely to be a certain
amount of unavoidable disruption. The Council is doing all it can to
minimise this disruption and to ensure that the work is carried out in a
timely manner and to this end the works are also being managed in the light
of the current demands for rail replacement services on both the North
London Line and the Jubilee Line works.

As councillors, please let us know if things are happening on West End Lane
that appear unnecessarily disruptive or daft, such as roadworks with no work
going on!