CONSERVATIVES CHALLENGE COUNCIL OVER

LOSS OF HENBURY STATION!

Conservative Councillor Mark Weston and Prospective MP Charlotte Leslie are challenging Bristol's Labour Cabinet to explain their failure to act in preventing the sale of Henbury railway station.

The move follows news that the site, which lies just within the boundaries of South Gloucestershire, has been sold at auction by the British Rail Property Board to a private developer.

An option to buy the station was not taken up by the neighbouring Authority and Bristol City Council apparently failed to express any interest in acquiring the property despite its ambition to improve suburban railway stations.

Now, Henbury Councillor Mark Weston has tabled a series of questions for next month's meeting of Full Council to Cllr Mark Bradshaw, Labour's Cabinet Member for Sustainability, trying to unearth the true extent of the Authority's involvement in the disposal.

Cllr Weston (Con, Henbury) said: "I was shocked and angry to hear that Henbury Station has been sold off for development when this site could easily have been preserved for future use as part of an integrated transport network.

"I want to find out what Bristol City Council's full role or involvement was in this matter and at what stage the reported opportunity arose to purchase this site from the British Rail Property Board.

"I am also anxious to know whether or not the possibility of making a joint bid with our neighbouring councils was ever discussed or explored.

"This loss represents a wasted opportunity to acquire a strategic station - especially when there are plans to run passenger trains along the freight line which runs through Henbury at this location."

Charlotte Leslie Prospective Conservative MP for Bristol North West has also added her voice to criticism of the move.

Miss Leslie said: "At a time when Bristol's roads are in gridlock and Council chiefs are considering a congestion charge which will hit the poor hardest, we desperately need a viable public alternative to the car.

"I am appalled that we appear to have missed the boat here as the possibility of reopening closed stations such as Henbury, Horfield, North Filton and Portishead should not be missed."

Miss Leslie urged those interested in supporting moves to resurrect Bristol's railway infrastructure to attend a meeting being organised by Friends of Suburban Bristol Rail (FOSBR) on Friday, 21st November, at Wilder
House, Wilder Street, Bristol, starting at 12.30 pm.

The agreed motion calls upon Council Leader Helen Holland to write to Mrs Blears, outlining the Authority's opposition to the proposed changes in the draft Regional Spatial Strategy.

Back to Local News Index 10 November 2008