A £10,000 fund has been set up to help get a planned extension to Pershore Railway Station’s car park back on track.
Frustrated councillors want to see progress made on the project which has stalled because a vital land-swap deal between
Network Rail and landowners Carlton Smith Ltd has not been agreed.
No building work has started at the station despite planning permission being granted 18 months ago for a new 64 space car park on the site.
The long-running saga looked to be coming to an end in January when planning chiefs at Wychavon District Council approved a planning application from Carlton Smith which included an amended car parking layout for 52 spaces for commuters.
It was hoped the approval would then lead to successful negotiations between the landowners and Network Rail over a land-swap but no progress was made.
And a recent meeting between councillors and Network Rail revealed funding for the project had lapsed and there were now no funds to pay for legal fees needed to complete the land-swap deal.
So to help move things forward, a funding pot has been created to help cover the cost of the legal fees which Network Rail is no longer able to pay.
A number of organisations are set to contribute to the fund with Pershore Market Town Partnership and Wychavon already committing a payment of £1,000 each.
More much-needed contributions could also come from Worcestershire County Council and the Cotswold Line Promotion Group.
Last night (Thursday) members of Pershore Town Council met to discuss contributing £2,000 to the fund.
Town councillor Julian Palfrey, who has been overseeing the project, told the Observer the funding pot was a step in the right
direction.
“Realistically it is the only way forward to get things moving again.” he said.
“I am fairly confident we can get the funds in place and in the scheme of things we might not need the full £10,000.”
The district council will act as banker for the funds and refund any unspent funds at the end of the project.
Vic Allison, deputy managing director at Wychavon District Council, said “We are helping to facilitate this initial phase of the project by ensuring the land-swap can take place. We are prepared to make a contribution also and an initial sum of £1,000 has already been identified.”
A spokesman from Worcestershire County Council, added: “We are also making applications for funding to contribute to the £10,000 community fund on behalf of the County Council, however the outcome of this won’t be known until late July.”
