Whitchurch train station: Plan for new car park criticised

Genko has unveiled details for the construction of a surface car park at the railway station, including a café and EV charging points on land adjacent to Newbury Road.

The site comprises 1.18 hectares and is bounded by Newbury Road to the east, the railway to the south and open agricultural land to the west and north.

In its request for a screening opinion, it states: “The new station car park will increase the provision of blue badge spaces serving Whitchurch Station. In addition, the car park will provide EV charging spaces which are currently unavailable at the existing car park.

“Currently there are no refreshment facilities available at Whitchurch Station. The inclusion of small café sensitively designed within its setting will provide this facility within a short distance of the northern platform.

“The car park will provide level access to the northern platform that is currently not possible from the southern car park. Drop-off for trains heading to Basingstoke and London would not need to navigate the footbridge to access the relevant platform.”

It is proposed to access the development from a single point of vehicular access onto Newbury Road, along with a dedicated pedestrian/cycle accesses to the station.

Genko also hopes to build 115 homes on land east of Bere Mill, in Whitchurch, along with a range of facilities including a public house.

The railway station application has sparked criticism from residents. At the time of writing there was 37 comments on the plan, 36 of which were objections.

David Oliver, of Lynch Hill Park, said: “We strongly object to this planning application not least as it appears a ‘Trojan horse ‘ attempt to get small chunks of Genko’s much larger even more damaging full scale plan approved in tiny increments.

“There is no need for any additional parking at Whitchurch station it is never full nor are the adjacent parking slots already in existence.”

Denyse Coles, also of Lynch Hill Park, said: “Since Covid and lockdown more people have spent part of the week working from home, therefore fewer people have been travelling by rail and using Whitchurch Station. Regular surveys have shown that the current station car park is never full.

“Any additional need generated by new housing is already catered for by permission having been given for a car park to the south-west of the station, associated with such development.”

The application will be discussed at a meeting of Whitchurch Town Council’s development committee on Monday, January 8.

References

^{^} Developer submits plans to build 115 new homes and a public house (www.basingstokegazette.co.uk)
^{^} Proposals to build massive housing development near Basingstoke criticised (www.basingstokegazette.co.uk)