Key Points:
- Healthwatch Havering urges TfL to reroute proposed SL12 Superloop service through Hornchurch, not Elm Park.
- Current route would connect Gants Hill to Rainham via Elm Park, missing key health facilities in Hornchurch.
- Ian Buckmaster, director of Healthwatch Havering, calls for direct bus access to St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub.
- Four-council joint health committee informed a Hornchurch stop would benefit more residents.
- Existing buses serve the health hub poorly, especially for elderly or mobility-limited passengers.
- TfL currently consulting public on SL12 route; no official comment on reroute request.
- Consultation remains open until 23 May.
Transport for London (TfL) is facing calls to reroute its new east London Superloop bus service, with health officials and councillors arguing that Hornchurch should be prioritised over Elm Park due to accessibility needs.
Why is the SL12 route under scrutiny?
Plans announced last month for the latest Superloop line — the SL12 — show it running express from Gants Hill to Rainham, with key stops including Newbury Park, Romford and Elm Park. However, local leaders are pushing for a change.
Healthwatch Havering, an independent body representing patients’ interests in the borough, has challenged the proposed route at a joint health committee meeting. The committee, which includes Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge and Waltham Forest councils, was told the change would be more beneficial to the wider community.
Who is advocating for Hornchurch and why?
Ian Buckmaster, director of Healthwatch Havering, led the appeal for the route to pass through Hornchurch instead of Elm Park. He told councillors this would allow the SL12 to serve the St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub, which has become a referral site for patients from both King George Hospital and Queen’s Hospital.
“We are proposing an alternative route that stops at St George’s, to which people are being referred from Queen’s and from King George,” Mr Buckmaster said.
He argued that the existing bus network does not provide a direct route between the hospitals and the health hub, creating difficulty for those in need of medical services — particularly elderly residents or those with mobility issues.
“There is currently no bus service directly from King George to St George’s and the one direct service from Romford is the 252, which goes all around the houses,” he added.
What’s the problem with the current route through Elm Park?
According to Mr Buckmaster, Elm Park is already “heavily congested”, and adding a Superloop stop would exacerbate traffic problems while doing little to improve transport links to healthcare. The suggestion is that the Hornchurch alternative would not only be more efficient, but better aligned with public health needs.
“When the planning permission was granted for [St George’s Hub], they said that there would be public transport available, but there ain’t,” he told the committee.
He also stated that buses currently stop too far from the health hub, posing challenges to those with physical limitations.
What is TfL’s response?
Transport for London has declined to comment directly on the proposed reroute. A spokesperson noted that the consultation period for the SL12 is still ongoing and that all feedback is being collected for review.
The public consultation for the SL12 line is open until 23 May, with TfL encouraging residents and stakeholders to submit their opinions on the route.
What happens next?
Until the consultation closes, no decisions will be made on altering the planned route. However, with local health representatives and council members voicing strong concerns, the debate over whether Hornchurch or Elm Park should host the Superloop stop is likely to continue.
