Cllr Pinder Chauhan, the Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Bedford and Kemspton has said she believes the long-term benefits of the East West Rail route through Bedford will outweigh any initial negative effects.
Pinder Chauhan, who is also a Conservative councillor in Northamptonshire, has shown support for the project after engaging “directly with [Bedford Borough] residents, a cross-section of businesses and East West Rail (EWR) themselves”.
Descring the rail line as a “‘once in a generation’ infrastructure project”, Cllr Chauhan says she is in favour of EWR as it will create jobs and investment in the area, help regenerate Bedford’s town centre, and improve our current rail station and rail links.
She also highlighted how the project has the potential to improve the likelihood of the proposed development by Universal Studios.
Cllr Chauhan also says most Bedfordians agree the project will bring positives to the area. “The vast majority of Bedford and Kempston residents either support the project, in some cases very trongly, or have no preference either way,” she says.
Read: The majority of Bedfordians are not bothered about EWR route
However, she did acknowledge the impact Route E will have on some parts of the Borough.
“I recognise that the proposed route [Route E] will have an impact on some residents, especially if the additional two tracks are built at the edge of the Poets area.
“The construction phase of the project will cause disruption to parts of Bedford and Kempston in any event.
“Of course, any project of this scale will involve disruption, but I believe the overall, long-term benefit to Bedford and Kempston will outweigh the initial negative effects.
“I will work with EWR and Bedford Borough Council to help minimise disruption to users of Bedford Midland Station while the line is built.”
No standout alternative
A recent study comissioned by Bedford Borough Council looked at eight possible routes for EWR and found that there is no stand out alternative, when looking at the impact each of them have in certain criteria.
Read: Residents told to “continue” planning for EWR Route E despite recent council research
Read: Council’s live-streamed EWR briefing allows public scrutiny of eight potential routes
Speaking after the council’s live stream of the proposed routes, Mike Barlow, campaigner for BFARe said: “If you support Route E, you support demolitions.”
That’s despite BFARe’s own suggested alternative also having an impact on current and future residential areas.
“I think the biggest travesty in this is that the council is effectively backing the demolition of the homes in Poets,” said Mr Barlow, “You can’t support both Route E and reject the demolitions, the two things are incompatible.
“If you support Route E, you support demolitions and you support 10 years of development devastation to the town and unnecessarily ripping up 7km of extra countryside.”
Mohammad Yasin, MP for Bedford and Kempston has also spoken of his work with Bedfordians affected by Route E and said he has listened carefully to the Mayor and the council’s chief planning officer about all possible EWR routes through the Borough.
“It was clear that all of the proposed alternative routes also face significant challenges,” he said after the presentation on 6 February.
“However, I am concerned that the Mayor does not appear to believe any of the alternative routes are viable or strong enough to suggest that residents should not continue with the Need to Sell scheme,” he added.
“This would to me suggest that the Mayor believes that EWR are likely to maintain their current route as indeed their decision to proceed with the statutory consultation today despite knowing that the Mayor was presenting tonight would suggest.”
Route E
Cllr Chauhan also seems to believe Route E will be the route EWR will take and that it is more important now to focus energy to support those who will be affected.
“There needs to be a transparent dialogue between EWR, residents and businesses of Bedford and Kempston regularly updated with the progress of the development, working in collaboration with the Mayor and Councillors,” she said.
“[We also need to make sure] there is support for any residents and businesses facing direct consequences for their properties, to ensure that they are compensated fairly and efficiently by holding EWR to account.
“[and that] any compensation or ‘need to sell’ property scheme for those affected is reasonable, clear and easy to use.”
She also called for reassurances that EWR make the criteria clear as to who will be entitled to benefit from any such scheme; and that any compensation is delivered in a timely manner.
Despite the impact though, Cllr Chauhan remains firm in her belief that EWR is a posiitve project for Bedford Borough.
“Coupled with the proposed Universal Studios development, the positive impact for our local economy should be even greater.
“In all the circumstances, it is clear to me that the EWR project should be supported for the benefit of Bedford and Kempston as a whole and that is what I will do,” she said.
