THERE is concern a new station near Stroud will never come to fruition after Labour axed plans to restore railway stations in a bid to save money.
Transport campaigners have been calling for a new Stroudwater station near Stonehouse for decades.
But Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced today (July 29) that the Government is cancelling the Restoring our Railways scheme today. This will save £85 million.
But Stroud District Council’s deputy leader Pete Kennedy (G, Painswick and Upton) fears this move means the district may not see a new station providing a direct link to Bristol for another generation.
“I don’t know how it can even progress to the next stage after today’s announcement,” he said.
“There’s a number of administrative hurdles until it might ever happen. It looks like it’s going to be stopped dead at the strategic outline business case which still hasn’t been decided two years after it was submitted to the Government.
“Even if they decided now to proceed I don’t see there being any funding that could progress it to the next stage.
“These cuts are supposedly being made to fill a surprise ‘black hole’ in the public finances, left by the Conservative government.
“But at every possible opportunity during the general election campaign I warned that the sums in the Labour manifesto would require spending cuts.
“I’m truly saddened that it only took three weeks for the Labour government to prove I was correct.
“There is long-term, cross-party consensus that we need this direct rail link to Bristol. Even the former Conservative MP supported the campaign.
“Simon Opher MP must now step up against these harmful cuts and demand that his government makes an urgent decision to progress our direct rail link to Bristol. The Tory government failed to make any progress on this for nearly two years.
“I had hoped that the new Labour government would recognise the importance of investing in our local railways, and the huge economic benefit it will have for local people, but instead they have left Stroud and Stonehouse stranded.”
Dr Opher, Stroud’s newly elected Labour MP, said he is totally committed to support the project and is meeting stakeholders in September.
He is keen to agree to plans to move it along and says it is naive to expect the new Government would prioritise the scheme in its first month in power.
“This campaign has been rolling for 30 years culminating in only a feasibility study, so it’s frankly naive to expect the new Government to prioritise it in their first three weeks in power,” he said.
“Particularly given the parlous state the Tories have left the UK’s finances in.
“I’ve campaigned for Stroudwater station as did David Drew before me. I am totally committed to supporting this project, and I am meeting local stakeholders in early September to agree plans to move it along.”
Sources at Gloucestershire County Council suggest the business case for a new station in the area would only stack up if it is linked to new housing growth.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel