£1bn Northern Line extension under threat as TfL fails to reach a deal with Battersea developers

A critical part of Transport for London’s (TfL) £1bn extension to the Northern Line may remain mothballed until it can resolve a dispute over financing with Battersea Power Station’s developers, one of its chiefs said today.

Stuart Harvey, TfL’s major projects director, told the London Assembly’s budget and performance committee that keeping Battersea Station closed after its expected 2020 launch date was “an option” if it cannot reach an agreement with Battersea’s Malayia developers, according to a report by Construction News.

TfL is in a dispute with developers SP Setia, Sime Derby and the Employee’s Provident Fund over who should recoup the extra £240bn added to the bill for the extension after the Battersea Power Station Development Corporation (BPSDC) made changes to the project’s original design last year.

Read more: Tunnelling starts on TfL’s £1.2bn Northern Line extension to Battersea

The £1bn Northern Line extension includes new stations at Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station (Source: TfL)

At the committee, Harvey said “I wouldn’t disagree that [not opening the station] is an option, I wouldn’t say if it was on the list”.

However, it is understood the project remains on track to launch at the end of 2020.

“Significant changes have been made by the Battersea Power Station Developer (BPS) to the agreed proposed development above the station at Battersea,” said a TfL spokesperson today.

“These more ambitious structures have in turn meant significant changes are needed to the new Tube station, leading to an increase in the overall cost of the project. We have been in discussions with BPS over these additional costs and are moving forward with the process to recover these from them.

“Good progress continues on the project, with tunnelling between Battersea and Kennington well underway.”

Battersea Power Station’s developers came under fire in June after it emerged they had requested a change to the terms of its affordable housing requirement which meant 250 homes expected to be built at the development now may not go ahead.

However, last month there was some good news: works to the power station’s chimneys were completed ahead of schedule, having been painstakingly dismantly, rebuilt and painted to restore them to their former glory.

BPSDC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read more: Planning chief: Battersea housing quota risked “serious challenges”