Two big local issues this week demonstrate the difference between being ambitious and imaginative for our area and just doing the bare minimum. Newly elected Conservative County Councillor Connor Payne has been campaigning for years now, as have I, to have Chard Junction station reopened. We spoke some time ago about it and I sounded out the Department for Transport about potential financial support, both as part of the ongoing project to improve resilience in the South West rail network and as part of consideration for reopening stations across the country that had been closed in the 60s.
In 2020 the Government launched a Restore Your Railways project seeing both the economic and environmental value in investing in our rail network. It was disappointing that our Local Authority did not present a good case to make a bid at that time but there may be future chances to apply for funding. In the meantime, Cllr Payne is championing the idea, which now has been rebranded Chard Parkway and has Council agreement that it would be good in principle.
As I have pointed out from the start the project will only attract funding if linked with other changes in the surrounding area and that’s why we need a competent overview and strategy management to look at wider site regeneration and transport linkage options. I have suggested to leading local consultants that they might like to help with some ideas.
Hopefully that will come but for now Connor is working hard on it and has a good deal of local support for bringing a rail service back to Chard and reinvigorating that part of town. If you have a view do get in touch with him, or with my office who can put you in touch.
By contrast South Somerset District Council’s efforts to help South Somerset have been dismal of late. At the time of writing I don’t know the outcome of Wednesday evening’s Committee meeting regarding the planning application for Acacia Lodge on Hendford Hill but I am not hopeful. I asked for the meeting to be delayed to give more time for residents’ feedback and consideration of some complex issues regarding rehabilitation of the homeless but that was turned down.
Should the application be granted it will be a fail not only for the local community but also residents of the shared facility who are much less likely to turn things around in that environment.
I have also been unable to support a set of outline aims of the newly Lib Dem County Council in the way they hope to apply for funding under the Government’s Levelling Up scheme. Whereas in other parts of the country ambitious and specific plans for local infrastructure and large scale physical regeneration are being put forward, in Somerset the new council's desire is a more nebulous promotion of Net Zero environmental aims and social mobility. However laudable those aims might be in themselves they miss the need for focus in the programme and the Government is unlikely to provide this type of funding to projects for which councils are responsible in the ordinary course.
On a more positive note, enjoy your holidays and time off if you can get some and let’s all support our brilliant local hospitality industry and producers. It’s going to be a hot few days so look after yourselves too.
Update:
After seeing the public discontent about the Acacia Lodge application, and I hope following my attempt to have the decision called-in by the Government to review, the application was turned down. I hope we can now move forward with finding a better solution to help the homeless.