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NETWORK Rail, the organisation which owns the
railway tracks in the U.K., came under fire from a Nantwich Town Councillor
minutes after a ceremony which marked a community project's efforts to
give Nantwich railway station an attractive face.
As Nantwich in Bloom members and others
were chatting after the Mayor of Nantwich (Cllr Edith Williams) had unveiled a
plaque marking the award, Town Councillor John Lewis (pictured left), a member
of Nantwich Transport Group, spoke exclusively to "A Dabber's Nantwich".
He bemoaned the state of the station forecourt - a piece of land on the other side of the station wall
which the Town Council would like to fund as a car park.
He said: "The sad thing is the station
forecourt is looking so poor, and that’s the responsibility of Network Rail.
“The Town Council has put aside money to tarmac
it but we can get no response from Network Rail who seem to endlessly create
problems about access.
“But the evidence where we are standing now is
that there are 30 cars using it as a car park. This could be a formal car park
which would help everybody.
“The 30 cars there totally disproves what
Network Rail says about access.”
“It has now been nearly three years of trying to
negotiate with Network Rail to get this changed to a car park. They seem to be
totally negative about progressing the issue. Very strange.
“This is the main gateway to the town, and it is
such a mess. We have made the station nice but as soon as you step round the
corner you are into rubble and a real mess.
“Arriva Trains were really supportive in the
station when we redesigned the layout and the flowerbeds. Network Rail are
totally the opposite.”
lNetwork Rail
were invited to comment on Cllr Lewis's remarks. They didn't reply. |
