Council tears down historic Surbiton bus shelter

Kingston Council has torn down a rare and historic bus shelter in Ewell Road, Surbiton.  This act of cultural vandalism follows years of negligence by the Council as the shelter was simply left to rot.

The shelter, on the border of Surbiton and Tolworth, was on the triangle of grass, flowers and trees opposite the old Red Lion Pub site.  The old fashioned bus/tram shelter has been on this site for many years and was very rare.  The shelter is due to be replaced by a modern glass and metal one.  

The double-sided shelter was one of a few left in London.  The Borough has already lost lots of similar bus shelters of the same sort of design, one of which used to be at Claremont Gardens.  The Council argue that the shelter suffered from vandalism, but in reality it didn't suffer more than anything else, it was just that it was never properly maintained.

The triangle of grass and plants looks great and the area is something that local residents should be proud of.  The old fashioned bus shelter fitted in perfectly in this position.  It was one of the few things that gave the area a bit of character and now it's gone for good.  Maybe the streetlights of central Surbiton will be the next thing to be axed in the name of progress and getting rid of anything unique.

Personally I am furious that the Council have done this.  We pay the highest council tax in London and surely we should be expecting Council Property to be maintained.  Many of our local councillors just don't seem to give a damn!

Mike Burden, a local Conservative councillor, had been working to save the historic shelter from demolition.  Mike said "I have been working hard to save this bus shelter for the residents of Surbiton and Tolworth.  It is a real shame that the council chose to tear it down.  I was hoping to hear good news about external funding very early in the New Year.  If only they could have held on."