£1m makeover gets underway near Gidea Park station

HaveringCouncil has begun major improvements in Gidea Park to compliment changes at the station as a result of Crossrail.With the new Elizabeth line train taking people through central London and to the West End without having to change trains, the number of people using the station over the coming years is set to increase significantly.With that in mind, TfL has allocated £1m funding to the Council to re-energise the area.Work started on 20 September and key activities include: repaving footpaths outside the station; removing overgrown trees and plants; re-fencing outside the station car park and re-fencing the alleyway; new parking bays and two zebra crossings on Balgores Lane and Upper Brentwood Road, new heritage-style street lamps and traffic calming measures such as raised tables.There’ll also be a new plaza at the front of the station, which will become a comfortable waiting area, with benches, a tree and bike racks.At the junction of Balgores Lane and Crossways, works will see overgrown and unhealthy trees removed to create a rain garden, with new plants and trees. The area has become known for anti-social behaviour, and this will open up the space, making it safer for people passing through, as well as improve biodiversity.The rain garden will capture rainwater for plants, reducing maintenance and providing a natural and sustainable source of water that will help the vegetation to flourish. This will be the first of its kind in the borough.The 28-week work programme is expected to finish in April 2018, however, all work on major routes will be on-hold over the festive season, between the last week in November and the first week in January, to support local businesses during the busy shopping period.