Council says 'no' to East West Rail demolitions

A council has strengthened its opposition to houses being demolished to make way for a huge railway project.

Bedford Borough Council said any demolitions for the East West Rail line, from Oxford to Cambridge, would be "unacceptable".

The Conservative-led authority's response to the latest consultation on the project was finalised at a meeting on Wednesday.

The East West Railway Company (EWRC) said the demolitions were necessary to speed up construction time.

The railway is being built to provide faster links between Oxford and Cambridge, via Milton Keynes and Bedford. The first section between Oxford and Milton Keynes is complete, but not yet running passenger trains.

However, the leg to Bedford could see about 60 properties on Ashburnham Road and the Poet's area destroyed or losing land.

The wording of the council's consultation response on this issue was strengthened at the meeting, after amendments were tabled by the Conservative group.

The final version said the council "cannot support the current proposals where they would require the demolition of homes", and the loss of houses would not be "an acceptable price for the current scheme".

Nicola Gribble, an independent councillor who is the authority's portfolio holder for the environment, said: "East West Rail have been very clear that demolitions will occur, they are not looking at any alternatives.

"We still do not know the number of dwellings and businesses that will be demolished, [but] they cannot or will not tell us."

EWRC has previously said: "The proposed demolition of properties, while difficult, is necessary to significantly reduce construction time - by up to three years."

The agreed consultation response also set out objections to a multi-storey car park near Bedford Station, and to the use of Stewartby Station by both college students and future Universal Studios theme park visitors.

The Conservative mayor of Bedford, Tom Wootton, has often spoken out about East West Rail, but was not at Wednesday's meeting.

Councillors were told he was absent because he had "a local and pecuniary interest" in the issue, which might have created a conflict of interest.

Zara Layne, a Labour councillor, said: "I think we have to question why he is able to be in charge of negotiating on behalf of the borough with East West Rail, when he obviously has an interest in the outcome of the project."

But Gribble said "he just played a straight bat" by not attending the meeting, because "he didn't want it to be about him".

The mayor has been contacted for comment.

There was cross-party support for the consultation response, with the Liberal Democrat group leader Henry Vann saying EWRC "needs to do a better job of engaging with residents".

He also believed the council needed to offer "technical alternatives and proposals" that will "challenge" some of the company's thinking.

EWRC said it had "extensively explored options to minimise and reduce impacts in Bedford, and we will continue to refine our plans by taking account of feedback from the current consultation".

"We recognise Bedford Borough Council's concerns about elements of our proposals, and will continue to work closely with the council and the local community as the scheme progresses."

On the issue of parking at the station, the company said: "We are working closely with the local MP Mohammad Yasin, Bedford Borough Council and the local community to work through alternative options."

The council's finalised response will be sent to EWRC before the end of the consultation on 9 June.

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