TfL and Grainger PLC are proposing to build high-rise rental housing, in pursuance of the Mayor’s London Plan and to raise finance for TFL, on and around the entire Cockfosters Station Car Park. Similar schemes are proposed for a large number of  other London Station Car Parks and will drastically impact the commuting options for outer London areas.

Those who need to use the Underground, including the elderly and infirm and those coming in from surrounding areas and beyond, will have greatly reduced ability to access the tube by car. They cannot necessarily use limited bus services or bikes to get to the Station.

The proposed rental homes on the site will have no provision for car ownership by tenants. This questionable assumption means that occupants cars will be forced to park on busy nearby streets to the detriment of local residents. Further impact on the already gridlocked A111, Cockfosters Road, is a predictable consequence. People who live in the outer suburbs cannot always pursue their lives exclusively by bike or on foot.

The case for building new homes, displacing this valuable car park, has not been made. It needs to fully consider other sites. It must also demonstrate whether the massive impact on local infrastructure and amenities can be absorbed by both existing residents and prospective occupants.