Islington Council launches legal challenge over Caledonian Road tube closure
Islington Council has applied for judicial review of Transport for London’s (TfL) decision to close Caledonian Road tube station for eight months.
In December, TfL announced it would close the station between March and October this year, in order to refurbish its two lifts simultaneously.
Islington Council argues an alternative is to repair the lifts sequentially, one after the other, which would mean the station - which offers important step-free access for mobility-impaired people - can remain open while the upgrade is carried out.
In its claim, Islington’s grounds of challenge include that TfL did not have due regard to its public sector equality duty when deciding to close the station rather than repair one lift after the other, and that the closure of the station discriminates against physically disabled and older persons.
Caledonian Road tube station is one of the capital’s ‘step-free’ stations, which constitute just 25% of all functioning underground stations across London’s network.
Islington Council’s executive member for environment and transport, Cllr Claudia Webbe, said: “Closing Caledonian Road station for eight months will have a huge impact on the local community, especially disabled and older people.
“We have asked TfL to look at repairing one lift at a time and keeping the station open, which would be a big help to disabled and older people, but they haven’t done this.
“We have been left with little choice but to take action on behalf of local residents. We urge TfL to reconsider, to repair one lift at a time and keep this vital step-free station open.”
The council’s application for judicial review has now been made at the Administrative Court at the Royal Courts of Justice, London.
Notes to editors
Islington Council’s grounds of challenge are:
- Due regard was not had by TfL to the public sector equality duty, contrary to the Equality Act 2010
- No consultation or discussion was carried out with the council before the decision was made to close the station
- Failure to take into account relevant considerations, including the economic impact of closure on local businesses
- The closure of the station indirectly discriminates against the physically disabled and the elderly, contrary to the Equality Act
- Irrationality
Step-free access stations
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