Financial contributions from Wixams Railway Station developers should start by end of July as project progresses

Closeup of railway tracks. Picture: Pixabay

The Wixams Railway Station project is continuing to move forward and developers should start making their financial contributions by the end of July, a meeting heard.

Jon Shortland, Bedford Borough Council’s chief officer for environment and chief officer for planning, infrastructure and economic growth, gave a brief update to last night’s Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee (June 6).

“Network Rail has now commenced the detailed design, beginning with the site surveys that were undertaken in March and April,” he said.

“The draft implementation agreement is currently circulating between ourselves and Network Rail.

“They produced it, we’ve commented, their comments on our comments are due back tomorrow.

“A paper is going to the Executive on June 19 recommending that a decision to sign the finalised implementation agreement is taken to full council on July 10.

“Entering into this implementation agreement will be the trigger for the first tranche of payments to the council under the section 106 agreement signed with developers.

“These are due by the end of July and two further tranches of funding will then follow in due course,” he said.

Mr Shortland added that there will be more information when the Executive paper is published.