25 Apr Letter to Lord Hendy, Rail Minister
When a delegation including Councillors visited Parliament on Wednesday 23rd April to campaign for a train station in Wellington, they brought with them a letter from Wellington Town Council. The contents of the letter can be read below:
Dear Lord Hendy,
Wellington Railway Station
I am writing on behalf of Wellington Town Council to set out its support for reinstating a railway station in Wellington.
The Council appreciates that you have met with our MP Gideon Amos to discuss this matter and that he has presented you with a detailed case for the railway station to be built in the town not only to meet the existing needs of the community but also to unlock further developments. We also know that you have seen the business case for the station, developed by Network Rail and Great Western Railway, that demonstrates clearly the need for and viability of a railway station for the town and that, if approved, t can be delivered within the life time of this Parliament
The Town Council is, not surprisingly, fully supportive of the delivery of the railway station. It has engaged fully with the Metro Board meetings with a councillor representative and our Chief Executive attending meetings and providing valuable local input to the discussions. It has shown commitment to the project by working with Somerset Council planners and the developers of the site around the proposed station to offer input on designs and has offered to take on the management of public open spaces in the development including the proposed Station Square. Finally, it has agreed to set aside funding to contribute to the costs of delivering the infrastructure of the Station Square.
The delivery of the railway station is of fundamental importance to the future growth and economic success of Wellington. Wellington is a growing town but without a railway station does not have the transport infrastructure to match that growth.
From an economic development point of view the station will encourage new employers to be based in and around the town providing greater employment opportunities for our community as it continues to grow in the coming years. It will enable members of our community to travel to other parts of the region for employment opportunities which currently they may not be able to do.
From an educational perspective, at present the post 16 education state offer, once students have taken their GCSEs, is predominantly limited to colleges in Taunton. The station would enable our young people to attend colleges in Exeter, Plymouth, Bridgwater and Bristol opening up a wider range of academic and apprenticeship opportunities which in turn would widen their career opportunities and thereby improve their life chances.
As it stands, Wellington is the largest town on the Paddington to Penzance line without a railway station and there is further growth to come. Our ambition is to make Wellington a destination of choice of people to come to live and work and for businesses to base themselves. Our proximity to the motorway network is a positive in that respect, but what is lacking is a railway station to link us into the rail network and all the benefits that that would bring.
On behalf of the Town Council, I would like to invite you to visit Wellington to meet with the Council and representatives of our education and business sectors so that you can hear first-hand how important the railways station is for the town.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
Janet Lloyd
Mayor
Photo courtesy of Gideon Amos Press Office.
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