Budget cuts put proposed station 'at risk'

District council deputy leader Pete Kennedy criticised the cutting of the rail fund

Concerns have been raised that a long-closed railway station will never reopen after the new government axed a rail restoration fund in a bid to save money.

For decades, campaigners have been demanding that Stroudwater station, which closed in the 1960s, reopens to provide a direct rail link between Stroud and Bristol.

But chancellor Rachel Reeves announced on Monday the government will cancel the Restoring our Railways scheme.

Stroud District Council's deputy leader Pete Kennedy said of the plans: "I don't know how it can even progress to the next stage after today's announcement."

Mr Kennedy, if the government changed its minds, there would not be funding to progress it to the next stage, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reports.

“There is long-term, cross-party consensus that we need this direct rail link to Bristol," he added.

"Even the former Conservative MP supported the campaign.

“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 Simon Opher will meet with stakeholders later this year

Mr Kennedy called on Stroud's new MP, Dr Simon Opher, to "step up against these harmful cuts and demand his government makes an urgent decision to progress our direct rail link to Bristol".

Dr Opher said he is totally committed to support the project for the station, near Stonehouse, and is meeting stakeholders in September.

He said he is keen to agree to plans to move it along but added he did not expect the new government to 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.

“I’ve campaigned for Stroudwater station, as did David Drew before me."

Dr Opher added he was not expecting the government to prioritise the railway stations now due to the "parlous state the Tories have left the UK’s finances in".

Sources at Gloucestershire County Council suggested the business case for a new station in the area would only stack up if it is linked to new housing growth.