Plans for Worcester Foregate Street station are ^uninspiring^, says city council

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Evesham Journal:

A ^785,000 revamp of Foregate Street railway station has been panned by Worcester City Council as ^bland^ and ^uninspiring^.


CRITICISM: An artist^s drawing of how Foregate Street rail station could look.

The council^s planning committee said it was ^a missed opportunity^ and called it a ^small, tokenist attempt^ to bring the site into the 21st century.

As your Worcester News revealed in June, Worcestershire County Council has secured Government cash to spruce up the station.

The plan includes the replacement of the existing 1970s canopies, automatic doors to both entrances, better cycle storage facilities, new customer service screens and a lick of paint.

But a report by Alan Coleman, a senior planning officer, says the scheme is ^architecturally uninspiring^ and is not good enough for a key gateway into the city. Committee members agreed and have voted in favour of passing the critique onto the county council.

Worcester mayor Councillor Roger Berry said: ^This station desperately needs upgrading, but this is just a small, tokenist attempt to improve it. It^s a very important, key part of the city and over the last few years the number of passengers has massively increased ^ it deserves better than this.^

Coun David Wilkinson, the council^s heritage champion, said: ^These are small cosmetic improvements, but we wanted more. The station is not the most friendly of environments, so this is a real missed opportunity for me.^

Councillors criticised the appearance of a corrugated iron shed next to the main entrance, which will not be replaced, and lamented the planned new cladding as ^average^.

Coun Derek Prodger said: ^When you walk up Foregate Street the first thing you see is the bridge, it is the real feature of the station. It^s sad that it has been neglected and a travesty it won^t be upgraded.^

The money for the revamp has come from the Government and London Midland, and Worcestershire County Council ^s planning committee will be tasked with making a final decision in November or December. A consultation period lasts until Thursday.

To get involved, log onto worcestershire.gov.uk/publicaccess or visit County Hall and ask for planning application 12/00054/REG3.

[pbc2520]

I was trying to work out how those updates could really cost ^785,000 but then I noticed the gold pavement...

Seriously, are we really getting a gold pavement or is this scheme so drab and uninspiring (and hardly different from the existing station) that the artist had to resort to colouring the pavement gold.  He may as well have drawn Dick Whittington strolling by.

[chuffed]

Missed the train Whittington ??
Lord Mayor of London Midland !

Wonder if he'd have the budget to fix the infamous 'brock' holes at Colwall!

[pbc2520]

By the way, to look at the planning application, you need to go to www.worcestershire.gov.uk/publicaccess/ and the application reference is 12/000054/REG3 .

[Chris from Nailsea]

From Worcester News:

Yawnsome - 'boring' station revamp plan gets the go-ahead

Dull, bland, uninspiring, not good enough... just some of the words councillors used to describe a revamp of Worcester^s Foregate Street railway station.

But despite publicly slating a proposed ^785,000 upgrade, the plans were approved after councillors admitted they feared it would be left to rot for 10 years unless it was waved through.

Network Rail has secured agreement to replace two 1970s canopies and install automatic doors to both entrances, create cycle storage areas, new customer service screens and give the station a lick of paint.

Worcestershire County Council^s planning committee voted in favour of the project yesterday ^ but not without them labelling it a letdown.

Councillor Derek Prodger said: ^I feel we^ve missed a golden opportunity ^ this does nothing to enhance the gateway to this most historical setting in Worcester. We^ve been saying long-term improvements are needed for two decades. To be honest, I^m disappointed.^

During consultations with Worcester City Council in the summer, the Guildhall^s planning chiefs described it as bland and uninspiring ^ something councillors agreed with yesterday.

Coun Alwyn Davies, chairman of the county^s planning committee, said: ^I have great sympathy with the view expressed by Worcester city. They called it dull, bland and uninspiring and they are right. It^s just not good enough for such an important site. This is wrong, and I won^t be voting for it. Worcester deserves better for such an historical gateway.^

During the debate several members of the committee considered rejecting the project, but feared if they did so, it would destroy the chances of the site getting any investment. Coun Sue Askin said: ^The station at the moment is seedy and a disgrace ^ I will be supporting it.^

Coun Emma Moffett said: ^If we don^t agree for this money to be spent we^ll be having these same conversations in 10 years^ time.^

Peter Blake, the head of integrated transport, told the committee there was no other available pot of money to improve the work. ^We are continuing to look at funding for transport improvements across the county, and this site would come under that, but there^s nothing else for this at the moment,^ he said.

Coun Terry Spencer said: ^If we stand around and wait for more money, how long will we have to wait? Surely, doing something to the station now is better than doing nothing.^

When it went a show of hands, Coun Davies voted against, Coun Prodger abstained but everyone else present, nine politicians in total, backed it.

For Worcester News comment click here.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Malvern Gazette:

Worcester Foregate Street railway bridge is opened officially


Railway bridge will be 'gateway' to city

A historic railway bridge lovingly restored to its former glory has been officially opened by the people who made it all possible.

The rejuvenated Foregate Street railway bridge has been admired since the scaffolding first came down and an opening ceremony was held today to mark the milestone.

Coun David Wilkinson, Worcester City Council^s heritage champion and vice-chairman of planning, said at a speech at the nearby Whitehouse Hotel: ^Foregate Street is a key gateway to the city and the railway bridge is an integral part of that. First impressions are important, and for anyone coming into Worcester from the north, the impression they get as they approach Foregate Street bridge gives them a feel for what Worcester as a whole is like - in particular how we care for our heritage. Worcester^s rich heritage - its historic environment - is important; it is one of the city^s unique selling points, a reason people come to Worcester and regard it as somewhere special.^

He said he was very impressed with the work carried out by contractors J Murphy & Sons Limited, civil engineering and rail specialists, on behalf of Network Rail who own and maintain our railways. He added: ^I am optimistic that we can now remove the bridge from our Heritage at Risk Register.^

The grade two listed bridge was built in 1860 with the parapets remodelled in 1908.

Philip Hanson, scheme project manager for Network Rail, said the project required extensive work to restore the bridge to its former glory, including repair of steel girders and cast iron facades. He said: ^It is now a familiar and historic landmark for which Worcester can truly be proud.^

Simon Geraghty, leader of Worcester city council, Coun John Smith, cabinet member for highways and transport on Worcestershire County Council, and conservation officer Cristina Gardiner also attended the opening.

Mr Geraghty said Foregate Street was Worcester^s ^gateway station^ and he said work could now begin on improving the station itself.

The ^1.1 million work on the bridge was due to finish on August 31 but workmen found more corrosion than expected and a new timetable was drawn up.

The ^785,000 work to the station is part of a ^20 million package of work to improve the transport network which includes work to Malvern station, the southern link road and ^corridor improvements^ to Ombersley Road and Tolladine Road in Worcester.

The work to Worcester^s station by the county council, which already has planning permission, will involve replacement of 1970s canopies, automatic doors at both entrances, better cycle storage facilities, new customer service screens and a fresh coat of paint.

[martvw]

Nice to see that the works to refresh Worcester Foregate street Station and that to revamp Malvern Link Station have started. I know that its not on the same scale as the Reading job but for us here in the Worcester aera its pretty big news! its a step in the right direction. I for one will be following the progress with great interest, especially the work at Malvern Link Station as I spent many a day at the old Malvern Link Station in the 60s in my youth train spotting (Warships/Hymeks/Brush 4s and lots of DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit),s) so remember the old Station buildings. In the summer school holidays my brother and I would spend most of the day there and often sit in the porter's room and have a chat they got to know us quite well and we were not any trouble - and then one day it was all gone the station buildings the sidings and the signal box.

[swrural]

I was hoping you would comment MartVW.  Do you not think that which looks like a corrugated iron extension is still an eyesore?  It appears to be the plan to retain it.  After the lovely bridge job, it seems a pity (spoiling the shop for a ha'poth, etc)..

[martvw]

Hi swrural do you mean the lean- to by the platform 2 entrance? When I called in to day the concrete type cobles were been taken up,and the old brown timber clading was coming off on the platform 1 main entrance at street level. I will try and keep us updated. Anyway it all should look better than we have now.

[Worcester_Passenger]

I think that swrural is referring to the corrugated iron at platform level, which contains Cafe Loco (the buffet). It's visible in the photo of the bridge re-opening and the artists impression.

Yes, it's an eyesore. But it's difficult to see how you could tidy it up without getting rid of the whole of the buffet.

[martvw]

Oh yes now I look I can see the part of the building in question,perhaps some gold cladding as used on the new Hive building!! No hopefully a colour that is in keeping with the new look station will work wonders. Perhaps some windows could be added to break the back of a shed look up a bit? I most say that I had not taken much notice of that part of the building, my eye is now drawn to the smart looking bridge .

[martvw]

The more I look at the back of the cafe/loco part of the station , I think that its not a big job to make it look smart. Lets see what happens with it? I wonder if the platform edges wil get any work to sort the dips and humps out in this work ?

[Worcester_Passenger]

I wonder if the platform edges wil get any work to sort the dips and humps out in this work ?

Don't bother with the platform edges - could they just raise the platforms to the level of the trains?

[Btline]

Uninspiring is a kind word to describe the project.
Worcester will continue to wither at the end of FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s cinderella branch line for many years to come.

And now Norton Parkway has been snubbed, leaving existing car parks bursting at the seams.

[Class172]

Progress seems to be very slow at the front of the station currently. Unless they're digging really deep foundations or something at the front where the porch will be, I have no idea what's going on.