Great Western Coffee Shop

A public exhibition of a scheme to improve passenger access at Romsey railway station ends next Friday (October 16).

Drawings and maps showing the proposals are on display at the borough council^s Romsey offices in Duttons Road and the public can inspect the plans during office hours only.

Proposals include removing some of the current parking bays at the front of the station and transferring them to a new site in the former stationmaster^s garden. Access to the proposed new parking area will be via Station Road and a new pavement and steps will be built leading up from the car park to the station entrance.

The area immediately to the front of the station will then be converted to disabled parking bays and a passenger drop-off point, along with a turning space for minibuses and midibuses serving the station.

Plans also include building an access ramp for the disabled on platform 1 on the northside of the station. Currently, this platform can only be accessed by the subway.

Test Valley^s transport planner, Viv Messenger, said: ^Relocating the parking will allow better access at the front of the station for buses and provide a drop-off point for passenger using the trains. We are working with HCC and First Great Western and Network Rail on this project. We are keen to progress this a soon as we can. Funding for some of this will come from developer contributions,^ said Mrs Messenger.