I have been in contact with the station manager who has advised me that the reason that this access gate has been closed is due to passenger counts being carried out for the forthcoming gating strategy.
Safety requirements will have been adhered to and emergency procedures followed if necessary. I am very sorry for the inconvenience caused.
[sorry, cross-post]
WHAT???
Firstly, there was NO count going on at any time I was there. Did anyone see one?
Secondly, they specifically mention "maintenance work" so they were either lying or incompetent.
Lastly, what a meaningless activity. If they need a passenger count, they also need to know how many are coming in from either side of the station to understand the customer flow and therefore the number of gates they require.