Back in 2004 Camden Council published a planning brief for what is now King’s Cross Central aka N1C. Permeability through the site was stressed in that brief as being vital. Things haven’t worked out that way with a key east/west route across the immediate rear of the station having been missed out. Neither Argent, the King’s Cross Central development company, nor Network Rail built the route and it remains to this day conspicuous by its’ absence.

In 2008 a local campaign began to open up this east/west route as a pedestrian and cycle bridge across the tracks. The campaign hoped to persuade Network Rail to take action whilst refurbishing the station. This would have cost a tiny percentage of their refurbishment budget. Network Rail refused and produced a feasibility study to show the bridge could not be built. The feasibility study however looked at a different bridge altogether so it was a shame that Network Rail used it as evidence that an amenity the community desperately wanted could not go ahead.

In 2012 a Planning Act Section 106 requirement on Argent to house the western section of the bridge came to an end. Still no bridge.

#googlebridgekx

Then Google purchased the swathe of land behind the station through which the bridge should have passed. The community again called for the much needed bridge to be built but to no avail. This year Google released the plan for their new King’s Cross building on the site. The community was stunned by the unimaginative building.

Now Google has taken the brave decision to redesign their new building to make it more ambitious. The community is again calling for the east/west route to be reinstated for pedestrians and cyclists and you can read more about the #googlebridgekx campaign here.