Could Cullompton and Wellington stations be back on track?

Officials recognise projects' "strong credentials"

Westcountry MPs have demanded that the government commit to delivering two new railway stations as the result of the spending review looms.

Somerset suffered heavily during the Beeching cuts of the mid-1960s, with numerous towns and villages seeing their stations closed and entire lines being ripped up forever.

Plans to restore rail services to Wellington and the nearby town of Cullompton in Devon have moved forward in recent times – with Cherwyn Developments gaining approval in May 2024 to deliver the access to a new Wellington station as part of a new estate of 200 homes.

Chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves MP threw a spanner in the works in late-July 2024 by instituting a review of major transport projects across the UK – with the A303 Stonehenge tunnel and the dualling of the A358 between Taunton and Ilminster both being cancelled in October 2024 as part of her first budget.

Local MPs Gideon Amos and Richard Foord have now met with transport secretary Heidi Alexander MP, urging her to ensure Wellington and Cullompton’s rail links are restored with great urgency.

Their plea comes less than three months before the outcome of the government’s spending review, which will have wide-reaching implications for major regeneration projects across the UK.

Every major infrastructure project in Britain has to present a benefit-cost ratio, which estimates how much economic growth will be generated as a result of government funding being invested in a given area.

For every £1 invested in the new stations in Wellington and Cullompton, the business case estimates they will generate £3.67 of benefits – one of the best ratios of any ongoing project in the country.

Mr Amos (who represents the Taunton and Wellington constituency) and Mr Foord (Honiton and Sidmouth) released a joint statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service following their meeting with Ms Alexander (Swindon South).

They said: “We made the case strongly for the project, especially given the cancellation of the A358 and A303 improvements from Somerset as soon as it became clear that the previous government hadn’t allocated any funding for them.

“The secretary of state was very knowledgeable about the Cullompton and Wellington stations project

“While she made clear she was not able to make any commitments until the spending review had concluded, she was positive in recognising the strength of the case for the project, including the third-party funding that has already been secured and the significant numbers of new homes it would unlock.

“We were pleased that her officials also confirmed the project had strong credentials.

“We will continue to press hard for it to go ahead and will not rest until these vital stations are reopened.”

The project has nearly completed its detailed design stage – with ex-Network Rail planner David Northey revealing shortly before the recent general election that Wellington’s new £15m station would not have a ticket office.

Detailed plans have been submitted for both the spine road which will link the new station to Nynehead Road and the ‘station square’ at the entrance to the station – which, if approved, will include the original top of the Wellington Monument.

Somerset Council has previously indicated that funds from the community infrastructure levy (CIL – which is paid by housing developers) could be used to deliver the spine road if the development ran into financial difficulty.

Options are also being explored for delivering new walking and cycling links near the station site – whether through the regeneration of Tonedale Mill and Tone Works (through the government’s levelling up fund) or the creation of the Grand Western Greenway, which could eventually link the town to Taunton.

Councillor Richard Wilkins, portfolio holder for transport and waste services, said: “We have worked hard bringing in major funding for the Wellington railway station project and the access road will soon be built as part of the linked housing development. We now need government to do its part.”

The new Cullompton station, together with a new relief road near the town’s Tesco supermarket, will help to deliver the Culm Garden Village, providing around 5,000 new homes east of junction 28 of the M5.

Messrs. Amos and Foord are currently organising a visit by local residents to London to further lobby transport ministers on the need for the project.