Bedford borough councillors have voiced concern that key plans showing how East West Rail will be phased through the town are still not available, despite the project being expected to start building in 2029.
At last night’s Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Thursday), members from across the borough also warned that residents increasingly feel the scheme is being “done to them, not being consulted with them”.
Referring to EWR’s local representative meetings, cllr Sharan Sira (Conservative, Wyboston) said: “Everyone walks out saying what we have learned? Absolutely nothing, nothing new.”
EWR said proposed construction routes should be shown as part of its spring consultation, expected to launch in the week beginning April 13, subject to government approval.
But fuller documents such as the code of construction practice, transport assessment and traffic management plan are not due until the Development Consent Order application in 2027.
Tristan Lincoln-Gordon, head of environment at EWR, told councillors: “We’re still developing what our overall construction programme looks like and the sequencing for the works.
“It will be a number of years, these projects do take in that sort of [time].
“Members of the public will be able to understand our construction routes in our spring consultation.”
Committee chair, cllr Charles Royden (Lib Dem, Brickhill) said: “It’s really important that the public can see all this stuff.
“We have a lot of concerned bodies in the town, and I think building that trust… is really important and part of that is transparency and open government.
“I’d love all the documents to be in the public domain, and then there’s no kind of suggestions of secrecy or anything like that. If we can get that into the public domain as quickly as possible, I think that’s really, really important.”
Cllr Jonathan Abbott (Lib Dem, Clapham and Oakley) said: “My residents really feel like this has been done to them, not being consulted with them.
“There’s a general acceptance now that this is going to proceed… this is not something which is going to fall by the wayside, and it’s a really good national infrastructure project.
“But the residents feel they’re not being listened to.
“Residents, parish councils, feel like they’re shouting into a void when it comes to talking to EWR.”
Natalie Wheble, external affairs director at EWR, said: “We are aware of the feedback around our communication and engagement with those who are impacted. We are making changes, and we are trying to address those concerns.”
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
