We asked local politicians: ‘Is planned Haxby Railway Station in the …

Question: Is the planned Haxby Railway Station in the right place? Do you support the proposal? Claire Douglas, Labour: Labour fully supports the development of a railway station in Haxby.

However, unlike the current administration, we take the concerns of residents and the town council seriously. We will commission a speedy review to see if the station can be in a place where it is better integrated into the local transport system and is easily accessible by walking, wheeling and cycling. Nigel Ayre, Liberal Democrat:

The progress made on the Haxby station project over the last few years (means) the delivery of the station is no longer just an ambition. After decades of false starts, we now have the opportunity to deliver a station, with land secured, initial funding unlocked, detailed designs ready, and the local community and the rail sector backing the project. Thanks to the efforts of Lib Dem councillors, the Government has so far awarded GBP1.5m of funding towards delivering the station at the Towthorpe location.

Delays proposed by the Labour group would risk not only this and future funding but the whole project. Andy D’Agorne, Green: Opening a new station at Haxby has great potential not just to reduce the number of existing households that depend on a car in the area, but also to cater for the hundreds of new households planned for the area by 2035.

With a safe direct walking and cycling route as proposed from the new development to the north of Haxby the planned site is well positioned, quite apart from the fact that it is now the only site which has any chance of being deliverable in the funding window provided by the government. Work with bus operators will be crucial to ensure a regular linking service from Strensall and Haxby. Paul Doughty, Conservative:

The council made mistakes in the process and should certainly have involved Haxby Town Council right from the start rather than after consultation had begun. However, the York Conservative Group do fully support a station for Haxby in this location and I think the council are right in their choice of preferred site (which) is the only realistic location for delivering the station. I believe this location with the road close to a long straight section of railway would make the optimum site for a park-and-rail station.

A park-and-rail on Towthorpe Road should take a not insignificant amount of traffic from the roads.