New rail station 'could help regenerate town'

More links to the Longforth Farm Development could be created when the rail station is built

Somerset's newest railway station could help regenerate land north of Wellington, it has been claimed.

The Beeching rail cuts meant that Wellington has not had a rail station since 1964.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has now said that £15m will be spent on the proposed station, which would be built near Nynehead Road.

The council is expected to make its final decisions on the rail plans by the end of this year so the station can be opened by September 2025.

The historic Tonedale Mill can be seen from Fox's Field Park

The Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed in early October that a new station for Wellington would be “funded to delivery” following prime minister Rishi Sunak MP’s decision to cancel the HS2 high-speed rail project north of Birmingham.

Somerset Council has now revealed that an existing footpath between the station site and the historic Tonedale Mill could be enhanced as part of the station’s construction – and that this enhancement could help to unlock further regeneration in the Tonedale area.

Currently, the railway site can only be accessed by crossing Burchill's Hill and going past the old water waste treatment which closed in 1867.

A new path joining two other public rights of way from the Longforth Farm housing development will provide an alternative to driving to the station.

A footpath leading from the B3187 to the proposed Wellington station

The updated railway site will come with the potential to spark more regeneration of the Tonedale area, Somerset Council said.

Fox's Field Community space has a play park for children which is being considered for renewal.

Alongside railway updates, there are also ideas to build 220 new homes, along with walking and cycling routes linking the Cades Farm housing estate and town centre.

Somerset Council says it hopes these developments will "breathe new life into the town".