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Wixams: Residents pleased with railway station approval

BBC Leon Staszak, from the Wixams Community GroupBBC
Leon Staszak, from the Wixams Community Group said 74% of residents would use the proposed station

Residents on a housing development say they "finally have some good news" after plans for a railway station were approved.

Bedford Borough Council's planning committee voted in favour of the new station at Wixams almost 20 years after the estate was devised.

The authority is due to put £26m towards the £39m cost of the station.

"We have been waiting such a long time for this," said Leon Staszak, from the Wixams Community Group.

"I moved here in 2009 with the promise of a new green town with great sustainable transport links and it hasn't happened... one of a number of disappointments."

A survey conducted by the community group found 74% of residents asked said they would use the proposed station.

People in Wixams are also awaiting the construction of a doctors surgery.

Saqhib Ali who has campaigned for the station for years and used to be a commuter
Saqhib Ali said it was "really important" that the new station was delivered

Planning permission was granted for a railway station in Wixams in 2012, but it lapsed when funding could not be secured.

Any new railway station also needs to be signed off by the Department for Transport.

Saqhib Ali who moved to the estate in 2011 and who has campaigned for the station for years, said: "I used to commute to London and going to Flitwick or Bedford [train station] isn't ideal."

Mr Ali, who is Labour's mayoral candidate for Bedford, added: "The really important thing now is that this is delivered. We've had support from Network Rail and Bedford Borough Council - let's see what comes next."

PA Media Thameslink trainPA Media
Thameslink would run four trains an hour in each direction at the new station, which would be between the existing stations of Bedford and Flitwick on the Midland Main Line

No questions or comments on the plans were put forward at Monday's meeting but councillors made recommendations to address issues about bus services and car parking.

Graeme Coombes, Conservative councillor for Wilshamstead, said: "It's all well and good opening a new station in December 2024, but it is important that when this station opens that it has a bus service running to it."

Planning applications for the station, car park and the platforms had to be submitted separately as the platforms were outside of the Wixams outline consent area, reported the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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