In excess of 60 homes are threatened with being at risk of demolition by the detailed choices and uncertainties around the route of East West Rail (EWR) through Bedford Borough. Most of these are in the town, either on Ashburnham Road or the ‘Poets’ estate.
We petition the Borough Council to explore ways of convincing EWR to avoid all demolitions within the Borough. As part of this, we petition that the consultants the council is commissioning are briefed to find ways to avoid demolitions at ALL of the sites where EWR have indicated a risk of demolition.
We petition the Borough Council to explore ways of maximizing the chances that rebuilding of Bedford station will include a platform on the existing southbound fast line. This platform should help minimise the number of properties demolished within the Borough by reducing the advantage EWR perceive in having extra tracks north of Bromham Road, reduce the chances of another long and disruptive closure of Bromham Road while improving connectivity at Bedford from Leicester and Nottingham.
We petition the Borough Council to explore how the station can be rebuilt to maximise integration with the Town Centre, bus routes, the cycle and pedestrian networks, and to promote regeneration of the area between the railway and town centre, insofar as that is consistent with minimising the number of properties demolished within the Borough as part of the EastWest Rail and station projects.
We petition the Borough Council to explore how to maximise the provision for electrification of EWR in any works.