Bedford council to build 'strongest possible' case against home demolitions by East West Rail
Bedford borough councillors have voted to back a motion requiring the authority to build the strongest possible case against the demolition of homes threatened by East West Rail (EWR).
A late “performative” amendment to remove any mention of the route through Bedford was rejected.
The motion, proposed by Green councillor Ben Foley (Greyfriars), was brought to Full Council on Wednesday (November 26).
Councillor Foley said: “I was really, really upset to learn in the autumn that East West Rail had changed their mind and once more was threatening to demolish dozens of homes in my ward.
“East West Rail are choosing to demolish homes because it will make construction a little bit faster, or in some cases, it will give a bit of actually unneeded operational flexibility.
“After years of dithering, the sudden need for speed just doesn’t hold water any more than the claimed need to run trains from Wellingborough on the slow line when they’re now providing a platform for them to run on the fast line.”
The motion was for the council to commit to protecting residents whose homes face demolition under EWR’s plans, and to investigate alternative station and rail designs to avoid knocking down buildings.
But the council would not oppose it taking a route through Bedford’s main station (without the need for trains to reverse in Bedford).
Councillor Foley warned that opposition to the route would fail, given the government’s firm commitment to the project.
However, Independent councillor Nicola Gribble (Renhold and Ravensden) tabled an amendment striking out sections and replacing them with a simplified commitment to oppose all demolitions and support affected residents.
“There is a viable, sensible alternative to this destructive route through Bedford,” she said. “Yet it has never been given the serious objective consideration it deserves.”
Councillor Lucy Bywater (Green, Castle and Newnham) called the amendment “100 per cent performative”.
“It doesn’t give any specifics about how you will help residents,” she said. “They don’t want comforting words. They want reality.”
The amendment was rejected, and a majority of councillors voted for councillor Foley’s motion.
In an email to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Natalie Wheble, EWR external affairs director, said: “We continue to engage with those affected by the proposed design updates at Bedford Station to ensure we hear their views and support those directly impacted.
“Our ambitions for a modern and accessible station offering transformational connectivity for Bedford remain at the heart of the East West Rail scheme.
“Our ongoing work to finalise the scheme before submitting our planning application is reliant on collaboration with the local authorities and elected representatives which we are wholly committed to.”