London Assembly Question No: 1938 / 2008 Cross Bones Graveyard - SE1Valerie Shawcross AM (Lambeth & Southwark, Chair of Transport Committee):  TfL own a very interesting piece of history in Redcross Way SE1 - Cross Bones Graveyard, an un-consecrated medieval graveyard for prostitutes. The land is currently enclosed in London Underground boards, but has a gate with a bronze plaque describing its history. As Chair of TfL can the Mayor ensure that Officers of TfL contact the Friends of Cross Bones Graveyard and start a discussion with them to protect this piece of London's more interesting past?

The Mayor (Boris Johnson): The site is to be used as a Thameslink 2000 project works site between now and 2015. Future development plans have yet to be worked up but will be prepared recognising the archaeological interest of this site. This will include consultation with all parties with an interest in the site.

Val Shawcross and the then Southwark Council leader Nick Stanton attended the St George at Cross Bones vigil on 23rd April 2009, where both expressed support for the campaign for a Garden of Remembrance.

Ms. Shawcross also wrote to Peter Hendy (Commissioner of Transport, TFL) expressing her 'long-term concern [...] for the future of Cross Bones Graveyard [...] I would hope to see the planning brief for any future development on the site make some accomodation for the graveyard [...] perhaps a piece of public realm garden and a memorial or stylish courtyard where visitors can be taken to pay respects and hear the story in full. It is of course desirable and probably inevitable that the depot site will be developed after completion of the Thameslink Project, but it is extremely important that the Cross Bones Graveyard is recognised within that future development and some space allocated for public access and appreciation.'

Caroline Pigeon (Liberal Democrat Assembly Member and deputy chair of the Transport Committee) has also written to TFL asking 'how TfL plans to work with the local community in the development of any future plans for Cross Bones.'  and requesting that they carefully consider the graveyard in any future planning brief.

On behalf of the Friends of Cross Bones, John Constable recently met with 3 representatives of TfL and Val Bierne (Bankside Urban Forest). They discussed our proposal for the establishment of a permanent shrine and Garden of Remembrance on the historically sensitive part of the old burial ground (stretching roughly from the Memorial Gates to Union Street, bounded to the west by Redcross Way and to the east by the Jubilee Line Electricity Sub Station). TfL have undertaken to ensure that our proposals are considered in drawing up the planning-brief for the entire site and to look into the possibility of some limited public access in the short to medium term.