IT IS hoped that parking pressure at Cam and Dursley station will lessen if plans to reopen an old railway station in the district are approved.
It was revealed this week the fight to reopen the old Stonehouse railway station which closed in the 1960s has taken a step forward.
Rail minister Huw Merriman recently confirmed he will visit to discuss the business case for reopening the station after Siobhan Baillie MP raised the matter in Parliament.
Cam and Dursley railway station is currently the only station in the district with direct access to Bristol.
As a result, many residents across the area use the station - which has free parking - and during busy periods can sometimes become full.
Before the pandemic there were urgent calls for action after many commuters caused chaos by leaving their cars parked on Box Road.
The Stonehouse rail project was previously given £50,000 from the Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund for a feasibility study with a decision on whether the station would receive funding due before Christmas.
Speaking in parliament, Ms Baillie said: "This is a 25-year dream of my constituents.
"I grasped it, and we managed to get investment from the government to do a proper feasibility study.
"I am waiting for the minister and government to give us information about the next stage for the outline business case.”
In reply, Mr Merriman said: “I will visit my honourable friend in Stonehouse.
“She and the town council have done a great job, and when I visit, we will look at the business case, because there has been work inside the department.”
A Stroud District Council spokesperson said: "The station would cut carbon emissions, support local employment opportunities, reduce car dependency, rat running on country lanes and parking pressures at Cam and Dursley station, and boost access to education, leisure and retail opportunities."
Tony Davey, chair of Stroud District Chamber of Trade, said: "The reopening of a station in Stonehouse, with the necessary accompanying infrastructure, would bring many opportunities, boost our local economy and help support many within our communities who enjoy living here but need to travel too."
Dursley GP Dr Simon Opher, Labour candidate for the Stroud constituency, stressed that politicians of every colour had been working on this project for 25 years.
He said: "This sounds like a really positive development, and one that I have campaigned for.
"My feeling is that Stroudwater would be wonderful, allowing residents to travel both north and south to Bristol or Birmingham for work or for leisure activities.
"It's a dream we all share, but we are still a long way away.
"I really hope this rail minister can help us."
However, Pete Kennedy, Green party candidate for the Stroud constituency, asked why it has taken so long.
He said: “Far from ‘full steam ahead’, this seems like more dither and delay from the Conservative government.
"The decision about reopening Bristol Road station was supposed to be made by the end of last year.
"Now, the only commitment from the Minister to Ms Baillie in Parliament is that ‘when I visit we will look at the business case, because there has been work inside the department.’
"This doesn’t sound like a positive decision is coming any time soon.”
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