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Astoria owners accuse TfL of rushing closure
Amar Singh7 Jan 2009
THE owners of the London Astoria, which is being demolished for Crossrail, today blamed Transport for London and London Underground for "rushing" its closure.
The Charing Cross Road venue which opened in 1927 will host its last party on 15January. But manager Ivor Wilkins said it had been denied a fitting swansong. He added: "We were given three months' notice in October [by TfL and LU]. Instead of our last few months having the big acts we should have, we have been working against the clock to put on a decent party on the last night."
Reader views (2)
Rushing its closure? Crossrail has been on the books for a quarter of a century and even predates the current use of the Astoria.
TFL should be congratualated for getting on with the job as Tottenham Court Road Station (even without Crossrail) needs massive upgrading to cope with the damand placed on it.
Anyway, this building together with those around it are a disgrace and should have been demolished years ago. It was lack of funding which stopped this happening.
The fact is with upgrades to the rail-lines it is the stations that are now presenting the problems when it comes to passengers using the rail network. One only has to see stations closed because of overcrowding at entrances or platform level to know London needs to build a 21st Century Transport network.
The real question is whether this upgrade will be used to upgrade the local road network even a complete southbound contra-flow bus lane from Euston Road to Cambridge Circus (once suggested) which would eliminate the blockage of buses in New Oxford Street would be a start.
I also think with southbound buses diverted via Shaftsbury Avenue it might be time for buses in both directions to return to this street as was once the case.
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex, 08/01/2009 00:07
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Thank you Mr Ken Livingstone for destroying another London institution.
- Bob, Cheam, 07/01/2009 15:07
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