Biggleswade station, located on the East Coast Mainline in Bedfordshire, and a growing commuter town, was awarded 'Access for All' funding in April 2019. Since then the project, now on its fifth Network Rail project lead, has faced several delays and we have moved from a completion date of Summer 2022, to a provisional date … Continue reading Lifts at Biggleswade delayed until Summer 2025
In April 2019 Biggleswade station was awarded 'Access for All' funding to provide lifts at the station. Five years on the much delayed scheme has been delayed yet again, and ironically we were informed of this delay in the same week that Andrew Haines set out how Network Rail, the organisation he has been the … Continue reading An open letter to Network Rail CEO Andrew Haines
There is much to unpack from yesterday's House of Commons Public Accounts Committee hearing discussing UK rail reform. The Committee heard from the top brass in Network Rail and the Department for Transport (DfT) about their plans to transform the governance of the UK railways, primarily through the Great British Railways transformation team - although … Continue reading Actions not words needed on rail accessibility
From recent evidence, it seems that Central Bedfordshire Council views road markings as a 'nice to have', rather than a vital aspect of road safety. This blog sets how I believe they are misinterpreting research in this area and how their current approach reduces the safety of the roads across Central Bedfordshire. I first raised … Continue reading White Lines (Don’t Do it) feat. Central Beds Council
Recently, representatives from the Arlesey and Biggleswade rail user groups attended a meeting that we had called to discuss the poor service provided by GTR. The meeting was chaired by Richard Fuller MP, and the Passenger Services Director and other members of GTR's staff were present. Below are the questions that we put to them. … Continue reading GTR’s answers to Arlesey/Biggleswade RUG questions
I will hold a hand up and say that up until a few weeks ago I did not know a great deal about planning conditions and S106 funding agreements. Since then, from delving into the lack of provision of cycle routes in my local area, and potential opportunities to improve their connectivity, I know quite … Continue reading Are planning conditions worth the paper they are written on?
The 'Access for All' scheme to improve the accessibility of the UK's train stations was introduced in 2006. To date, it has enabled around 200 stations to become step-free as well as providing other smaller-scale improvements to many more stations. Funding for the rail network is broken down into Control Periods and every five years … Continue reading Access for All – mind the equality gap
Following my research into how funding received from housing developers is spent in our communities, I posted The secret world of S106 funding blog on my social media. Of course, while social media can be a useful tool, it is no substitute for actually getting in touch with the decision makers directly. As the planning … Continue reading S106 Funding – an open letter to Central Beds Council
One of the most frequent issues that came up on the doorstep while campaigning during the Mid Bedfordshire by-election was the number of housing developments lacking associated infrastructure. Having walked around numerous housing estates over the last few months it seems that developers are permitted to lazily lob in a generic play area and completely … Continue reading The secret world of S106 funding
Due to the threat of legal action by disability activists and a number of metro mayors, the 21-day consultation window on the Rail Delivery Group's (RDG) proposals to close almost 1,000 ticket offices across the rail network has been extended to 1st September. As of around a week ago, some 170,000 responses to the consultation … Continue reading Ticket Office Closures Q&As
Julian Vaughan 