Businesses around Angel say a long station closure would hit trade and make life harder for staff, as Transport for London considers how to replace its failing escalators.
No decision has been made. But TfL is considering making the station exit-only in the evenings and on weekends from November, according to London Centric. A full closure of up to 12 months is one option for the replacement work itself, which would come later.
Matthew Crawford, the owner and co-founder of After Noah, an independent store selling an eclectic mix of vintage toys and furniture, shared his concerns about the timing. “Christmas is crucial for independent retailers. This is absolutely the worst possible moment to make it harder for our customers to get to us”.
He accepted the need for essential repairs but stressed the need for “proper consultation and sensible scheduling”. “Angel is a major transport hub and absolutely critical to the business around it,” he said. “It is extraordinary that something with such serious consequences appears to have been planned without proper consultation with the people and businesses most affected.”
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Jez Wells, who runs Old Red Lion Pub & Playhouse, a deep red historic inn that showcases fringe theatre, was also apprehensive. He notes that the station was the preferred route for customers and around half of the staff. The place describes itself as a 1-minute walk from the station when giving directions to theatre-goers, which would have to change in the event of a prolonged closure.
He stresses this is particularly problematic for the theatre: “When we have multiple shows on a night the first would be a 7pm start – which some people already struggle to get to after work, so this would really exacerbate things. I really hope this doesn’t go ahead”.
At The Shoap, a café serving traditional Scottish food, one employer raised similar concerns. Rosie Russell reckons “it’s going to really impact people getting to work on time and impact all sorts of businesses in the surrounding area”.
Rencie Santos, who manages Estella Bartlett stores in Angel and London Bridge, says: “It will impact me as a commuter who relies on public transport 100%”. She was not informed about the potential closure but only found out through the news. She relies on the Northern Line as the fastest link between the two shops and knows this is also true for many of her customers.
The escalators are around 35 years old and, at 200 ft, are the longest on the Underground. One is currently down, the second could fail at any moment, and the third can, at best, hold out for two more years. TfL has said that their record-breaking length means they can’t be used safely as a fixed staircase.
Una O’Halloran, the Labour leader of Islington Council, has been frustrated by the transport body’s handling of the issue. She privately wrote to TfL commissioner Andy Lord, in a letter seen by London Centric, saying: “To approach us at this late stage, with no suitable plan or seeming forethought about a replacement programme until the issue has been forced by failure, is not acceptable.” She said a total closure would be “devastating” for local businesses.
Richard Jones, the director of asset performance delivery for London Underground, blamed “many years of constrained government funding” for the delay in replacing the escalators.
TfL was approached for comment.
If Angel closed, passengers could use King’s Cross St Pancras and Old Street.
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