Media centre

Monday 17 Jan 2011

LOCALS URGED TO FIND OUT MORE ON KING'S CROSS RENAISSANCE

Region & Route:

| Eastern

In just over a year, Network Rail’s dramatic new western concourse opens at King’s Cross station, marking a significant milestone in the area’s ongoing renaissance. Residents are being urged to visit an exhibition and find out more about the changes at the station and in the surrounding area.

As well as providing improved facilities for passengers, Network Rail found in a recent survey that nine out of 10 station users (89%) thought the redeveloped station would have a positive impact on the image of the entire area. More than eight out of 10 people questioned (83%) also thought it would benefit the local economy. The project supports a number of local charities too, including the West Euston Partnership, which was set up by residents in 1992 to help make their area a better place to live and work.

Councillor Sarah Hayward, cabinet member for communities, regeneration and equalities, said: "I will be delighted to see the opening of the new concourse at King's Cross. This development builds on the huge investment we are making in the area and we will continue to support projects like these, which further improve and regenerate our borough."

Just to the north of the station is King’s Cross Central, the largest mixed use scheme in central London. The 67-acre site, which is being developed by the King's Cross Central Limited Partnership, offers new community facilities alongside theatres, independent cinemas, exhibition spaces, and annual festivals to complement the area’s established and thriving creative scene. The scheme will also provide 1,900 homes, 20 new streets, 10 major public spaces and up to 500,000 sq ft of retail space which will be available to independent shops as well as high-street names.

A scale model of Network Rail’s King’s Cross station redevelopment will be on display in the station from Monday 17th to Friday 21st January. Members of the project team will be on hand to answer questions about the scheme.

People can also visit a permanent exhibition in the German Gymnasium on St Pancras Road, opposite the domestic entrance to St Pancras International, where a much larger model depicting plans for the entire area takes centre-stage.

Ian Fry, King’s Cross programme director for Network Rail, said: “The redevelopment of King’s Cross station will give passengers what they want – a bigger, better, brighter station. It’s a massively important part of the regeneration of this quarter of London, continuing the improvements that have already taken place in recent years.

"We’re excited to be a little over a year away from the opening of the new concourse next spring and we hope passengers, residents and Londoners as a whole are excited too."