Council opposes six track plan for East West Rail

Councillors have voted to oppose part of a major railway line being built through their district.

Bedford Borough Council wants the East West Rail (EWR) line to be made up of four tracks, rather than six, in the Poets area north of the town.

Thirty-seven homes would need to be demolished in order to accommodate the two additional tracks.

However, in their full-council meeting on Wednesday, members agreed to support other parts of the project, such as the relocation of Stewartby station and the closure of Kempston Hardwick.

An EWR spokesperson said it was committed to working with local communities.

Councillors were deciding on their official response to an ongoing consultation from EWR about the project.

The line will run between Cambridge and Oxford, travelling through Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, and the section between Oxford and Bletchley is due to open this year.

The government has said trains between Bedford and Oxford will run from 2030.

Compensation has been promised for land and property owners affected by the construction.

But resident Rosie Mitchell and her husband John - who were at the meeting - said potential buyers had lost interest in their property when they realised where they were located in the town.

"[The council] seem to be just accepting far too much on face value, rather than trying to put the case for the people of Bedford," said Ms Mitchell, who said the local authority should be "pushing things" on behalf of residents.

Gerry Sansom, from campaign group CPRE Bedfordshire, said the council's response to the consultation was "very disappointing".

The council had the opportunity "to look carefully at the impact of going through the centre of Bedford" and impacting on properties, he said.

Independent councillor Nicola Gribble, who is also the environment portfolio holder on the council, wanted the local authority to "rescind it support for the currently proposed route".

She was concerned by EWR's "lack of open dialogue and communication".

"We should not bow to their corporate pressure, we must stand up for our residents, our businesses, our environment, and our own integrity," said Gribble.

She said EWR was refusing to change its mind over the six tracks north of Bedford and cited its "refusal to prevent the demolition of any homes".

However, her motion was voted down at the meeting, and Green councillor Ben Foley said: "[EWR] are most unlikely to be persuaded to change to a radically different route at this stage."

An EWR spokesperson said: "We remain committed to working hand-in-hand with the local communities that we will serve.

"Constructive and frequent dialogue with the council and other stakeholders is central to this process."

They said "we remain confident" the current route was the best option for Bedford, providing fast and frequent services.

The 10-week non-statutory (meaning it is not legally binding) consultation on the plans is due to end on 24 January.

A statutory consultation is due to take place later this year.

Additional reporting by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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