GLC/DG/PTI/P/05/069

South Cross Route

Date range	1965-1969
Location	London Metropolitan Archives (see all files stored here)
Catalogue	See entry
File base	Fond GLC, subfond DG/PTI/P

Context

This file seems to contain all the GLC's correspondence on the South Cross Route, much of it to or from the man with the unfortunate job of handling disgruntled homeowners, Robert Vigars. There are also many misplaced items in here that are actually to do with the southern sweep of Ringway 2.

Contents of note

Among other things we learn:

• The route set by the LCC through Blackheath was designed to make use of an abandoned railway embankment.
• In 1969 there was still no firm route for the South Cross Route, and this fact is stated again and again in both internal and external communications. Vigars states it was unlikely to be built before the mid-1980s, which matches a construction date of "post-1990" in other GLC documents.
• Despite this, the SCR caused enormous planning blight because a rough line was known, and those on or near it were unable to sell their properties. The GLC did, in fact, commit to capital expenditure on the SCR:
  • 124 Edgeley Road in LB Lambeth was bought for about £4000 (on which the GLC continued to pay about 12/- a month ground rent);
  • 195 Eversleigh Road in LB Wandsworth was also bought for £3500, indicating that the motorway would have been south of the railway here. There may have been other properties also purchased in the same way.
• The terminology used in the papers suggests that the Dover Radial Route was to be extended via Blackheath to Lewisham, indicating that - as suspected - the easternmost section of SCR is infact piggybacked on the innermost section of the A2 bypass. This explains why the New Cross Spur appears to be of equal importance to the mainline SCR.
• In a letter to Anthony Royle MP, dated 17 October 1967, Vigars makes the astounding claim that those living close to new motorways actually like it for the "convenience of access and they are not too worried about the noise".

People with camera copies

None known.