Pedestrian tunnels that were known as the Joe Strummer subway in honour of one of London’s greatest rock stars have been turned into a “rain garden”.
The subterranean subway, which allowed pedestrians to avoid the traffic-packed junction where the A5 Edgware Road and Marylebone Road intersect under the A40 flyover, has been closed and “filled in” with plants and trees that act as giant drains during heavy rainfall.
Now known as the Marylebone Flyover rain gardens, they take the form of three large rectangular areas on different sides of the junction. The aim is to protect the heavily built-up area from flooding and to improve diversity.
Will Norman, London’s walking and cycling commissioner, said Transport for London had been able to create the gardens – known as SuDS (sustainable drainage systems) – after remodelling the “dangerous” junction to make it safer to cross at surface level.
He said: “One of the famous songs of The Clash [London Calling] talks about ‘London’s drowning’. What we don’t want is London to drown. Hopefully these rain gardens will help prevent flooding in the future.”
Strummer, who died in 2002, was the leader of The Clash, whose double album London Calling is regarded as one of the greatest records ever recorded.
The band got their name from reading the Evening Standard and noting how the word “clash” would appear in headlines.
Robert Gordon McHarg, a friend of Strummer’s, renamed the subways the “Joe Strummer Subway” after his death.
He had put up the new sign as a “protest” against the removal of the original pedestrian subway signs.
He recalled: “Joe used to busk in the subway before he was with The Clash.
“When he first busked, he didn’t have a lot of a repertoire. He said: ‘That’s alright, they [pedestrians] are passing by, so I’ll sing the same song.’ He soon learned a lot of songs.
“People who came to London would have their picture taken next to the signs and think about Joe and his legacy in the area.
“I made signs purposely to fit on a certain space on the subway. When they got damaged, I would replace them. It lasted. It was a lot of fun. It was a little nod of the hat to Joe. He deserved it.”
He said the rain gardens were a “great use of space”. He said: “I think Joe would like what they have done with this. No-one can speak for Joe but I think he would be pretty happy with this.”
One of the gardens sits immediately adjacent to the former Paddington police station, opposite the Bakerloo line’s Edgware Road station.
The police station site is understood to be in line to be redeveloped with a residential tower block.
The gardens, created in partnership with Thames Water, measure a total of 3,500sqm – about the same size as 10 double decker buses.
The are the largest SuDS in central London and include 11 trees, 95 shrubs and thousands of plats, including flowering species such as pink geraniums, orange-coloured Kniphofia and blue wood-aster.
Previously the subway network under the junction was accessed via ramps and stairs. They included a couple of shops, including an art gallery run by Mr McHarg. The subway was closed in 2018.
The Marble Arch London business improvement district has promised to maintain the rain gardens.
As part of its safer junctions programme, TfL extended the pavement outside Edgware Road Tube station and removed a left turn slip lane to improve conditions for the thousands of people who walk across the junction throughout the day.
Penny Rees, TfL's head of healthy streets investment, said: “These rain gardens at Marylebone Flyover will not only brighten up the local area that holds a special meaning to the community and fans of Joe Strummer, but also improves the surface drainage system to protect a busy junction from flooding.”
TfL is also installing rain gardens on London Road roundabout in Twickenham and at Cromwell Road bus station in Kingston.
Earlier this year, TfL improvements to Tolworth Roundabout including installing more than 6,000sqm of SuDS.
