Following criticism about the new layout for Wimbledon Station forecourt, Merton Council and South West Trains have issued a response.

Councillor Andrew Judge (Labour Cabinet Member for environmental sustainability and regeneration), and Jake Kelly (Customer Services Director, SWT) write in the Wimbledon Guardian:

Letters printed recently in Your say suggest [sic] Merton Council and South West Trains have undertaken the Wimbledon Station upgrade without considering the need of those with access difficulties – this is far from the case.

They go on to outline the meetings they had with groups representing those with disabilities, to excuse and explain the “forecourt gradient” and the use of specific paving to assist wheelchair users. Most importantly they mention the drop off layby which is yet to be completed, and the fact that blue badge holders can use the station service road to park. This in itself is surely controversial – the nearest station entrance to the service road is up a flight of steps, and the road is both narrow, and heavily used by the taxis who use it to enter the main station taxi rank. There is no mention of the woeful state of the station lifts (which we have previously raised here).

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