Construction has begun on a futuristic multi-storey cycle hub at Richmond Station, set to be operational by the summer.
The £3m facility, constructed by South Western Railway in partnership with Richmond Council, will accommodate up to 700 bikes and is designed to promote environmentally-friendly travel and increase property security for cyclists.
It comes in the wake of increased funding for sustainable infrastructure and is part of the drive to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
David Wilby, regional development manager for SWR, has been involved in the project since its inception in 2018 and is committed to building a site that is both convenient and green.
He said: “We’ve got an obligation as a train-operating company to promote seamless travel and sustainable transport.
“We’re building it to a specification outlined by BREEAM to try and be as environmentally-friendly as possible when we build it, with reused steel and reused aggregate in the concrete.
“We’ll have a green roof, solar panels to run the electricity and the lights, and a rainwater recycling system that will be plumbed into a living wall.”
Although the initiative suffered setbacks during the pandemic, Richmond Council has continued to provide financial support, forking out £664,000 in support of the scheme.
Councillor Alexander Ehmann, Chair of Richmond Council’s Transport and Air Quality Committee, attended the groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday.
He said: “We are delighted to support this initiative and see it come into being.
“The Cycle Hub at Richmond Station will make it easier for residents to choose sustainable travel options and help reduce congestion on our roads to improve air quality.
“We hope to see more of these types of partnerships across the borough so we can continue to enhance our local infrastructure to meet the growing needs of our community.”
Public reaction around the station varied, with some residents and businesses being positively surprised by the news.
Anthony Clarke, workshop manager at Richmond Cycles, said: “We’d encourage any improvement in infrastructure to support people riding their bikes to and from work or generally as a benefit to the wider community.”
Bike theft was another issue that SWR was keen to address, and they have provided assurance that the hub will be secure and fitted with CCTV.
Alex Stewart, a cyclist from Kew Gardens, said “Even though people think this area is secure, bikes can easily be snatched. It’s brilliant to know that they’re working on security.”
However some expressed uncertainty about the site becoming an immediate success, with a similar hub in Kingston being underused since its completion in 2021.
Civil servant Jon Rush, 55, said: “I’m a very strong advocate of bike transport, but the Kingston Hub is a white elephant that has cost more than a million pounds.
“It’s an award-winning design, but no one uses it.
“For whatever reason people don’t think it’s safe, even though it looks wonderful. It’s good that Richmond is thinking about doing something similar but they need to learn the lessons from Kingston.
“In the current fiscal position of public spending, you cannot afford to waste money.”
Photo credit: @SW_Help/X
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