Marsh Barton station approved

Late and over-budget!

Plans for a new train station at Marsh Barton have finally been approved – four years after trains should have been running.

The planning application for the construction of a new two platform railway station to serve the Marsh Barton Industrial Estate has this week been approved by Devon County Council planners under delegated powers.

As well as the station, the scheme for Clapperbrook Lane East, contains a new cycle way embankment and footbridge, to link the station to, and provide a dedicated pedestrian and cycle way.

Funding has been secured to cover the current project estimate cost, excluding contingency, and Devon County Council’s cabinet will now meet early in 2021 to discuss, finalise and sign-off on committing the cash towards the build of the station.

No details yet have been revealed as to when the work will begin and when the station will see trains stop, but when the application was submitted in July, it was hoped that the station will be open by the end of 2021.

A Devon County Council spokesman said: “Cabinet will meet early next year to discuss the revised scheme and, subject to approval, we will be able to confirm potential start dates.”

Approving the scheme under delegated powers, planning officers said: “The proposal looks to provide a piece of infrastructure fundamental to the delivery of the transport strategy for Exeter. It facilitates sustainable travel, achieving a modal shift from private car to public transport in one of Exeter’s main employment areas, all of which is supported by planning policy.

“There are concerns that the proposal does not go far enough and include offsite improvements for cyclists are noted, however, this is not considered to outweigh the benefits associated with the delivery of the station. The proposals also provide significant improvement to the existing situation for pedestrians and cyclists using Clapperbrook Lane.

“While the loss of the trees and the impacts upon the local landscape are regrettable, this harm, along with any temporary disruption during construction, is considered to be outweighed by the public benefits of the proposal and therefore planning permission is granted.”

The delivery of the station has been a long-term aspiration for Devon County Council and forms part of the Devon Metro project, which encompasses a range of rail infrastructure improvements in the Exeter area, with the scheme for Marsh Barton station aimed to provide sustainable access to employment, retail and leisure opportunities.

The proposed station will have two platforms, with the eastern and western platforms served by trains to Newton Abbot and Exeter, respectively. Each platform will be 124 metres in length, sufficient to accommodate trains formed of up to 5 cars, and will be 4m wide.

Each platform will have a waiting shelter, 10m wide by 1.5m deep, containing 12 stainless steel seats with arm rests, and a perch rail for four passengers, as well as one ticket vending machine on each platform, located inside the waiting shelters.

Two help points will be provided on each platform, one adjacent to the waiting shelter, and one in the emergency refuge area, while in addition to the help points, there will also be ‘next train indicators’ on each platform, providing audio and visual information regarding services.

Vehicular access to the station will be from Clapperbrook Lane East, with a new access road meeting the existing road at a junction on the eastern edge of the side, with access to the station for pedestrians and cyclists will be via paths which connect to the new footway/cycleway.

No parking spaces will be provided for general use, as it is expected the station will primarily serve as a destination, and it is intended to encourage use of sustainable modes of transport.

A plans for a previous iteration of the station, which was due to open in 2016, had been approved, but delays, rising costs, changes in design standards and an unsuccessful bid to the Department for Transport’s New Stations Fund left a funding shortfall which has delayed the project and required the new application with an amended design

The Devon Metro strategy said the station at Marsh Barton would attract rail trips to this major employment centre from a wide area, with 30 per cent from Torbay and South Devon, 15 per cent from the city centre and over 30 per cent from east of the river, and the increased patronage projections meant it was given priority over a new station at Exminster.

As part of the Devon Metro, seven new stations had been proposed, two of which have already opened – Cranbrook saw trains arrive for the first time in 2012 and Newcourt station opened in 2015.

Of the other five, the planning application for Marsh Barton has now been approved, while the new railway station at Edginswell in Torquay looks to be back on track thanks to £7.8million funding confirmed in the Spending Review by the Government.

The Devon Metro plans had two stations – Monkerton and Cullompton – as possible new stations for the longer term – with the latter moving a step closer as development funding to progress the opening the station in Cullompton also agreed.

The seventh station was Okehampton East Parkway, and plans for the station are back in the pipeline following the restoration of the Okehampton to Exeter rail service having been agreed.

At Wednesday morning’s Devon County Council cabinet meeting, Cllr Kevin Ball, who represents the Okehampton ward, said: “This station is vital for the new rail service, as a considerable percentage of the population of the town live within walking distance of the proposed Parkway station, however even more importantly, it will also enable easier access off the A30 bypass for those travelling to Okehampton from further afield to access the rail network.”

Cllr Andrea Davis, cabinet member for infrastructure, added: “We have been working very closely with Network Rail and GWR to progress the re-opening of the Okehampton to Exeter line. It is through our close working relationship with rail partners and stakeholders and lobbying behind the scenes that has gained momentum and traction with Government and we are led to believe the formal announcement is now imminent.

“We have been clear through discussions with partners on the project that the reopening of the rail line between Okehampton Town Station and Exeter is the first part of a strategy for the Dartmoor line. Future phases will include a Parkway station, serving a wider catchment of West Devon, Torridge and North Cornwall residents and increased frequency of services.

“As part of planning for the future phases we have used some of our Invest in Devon funds to deliver the Parkway feasibility study and we are currently funding platform design work to ensure that when the track renewals take place as part of the reopening, it is in the correct position to make delivery of a new Parkway station easier and more cost effective.

“We have funds available to progress a planning application but as with other new stations at Newcourt, Cranbrook and Marsh Barton, we will need funding from a cocktail of sources, some of which would be a County Council contribution. We have been successful in achieving this in the past and I am sure this would be no exception.”