30th March 2023
It is with regret that due to a lack of public engagement and support and the adamance and vehemence of the opposition to the station proposal at Ampthill by members of the town council, that we have reluctantly decided to shelve this project until further notice. It need not stop others making the case and post local elections trying again. But the July meeting has been cancelled and unless we get more support in local interest, membership and engagement volunteering (chicken and egg) we have many other projects nationwide requiring our attention, time and limited resources.
Any offers to take an interest, be a team player, join ERTA via:
Present: Simon Barber, Brian Brennan, Colin Crawford, David Ferguson and Richard Pill
1. Appointment of a chair for the meeting (must be an ERTA Member): Colin Crawford
2. Apologies for absence: Cllr Jake Bishop, Mark Bell, Cllr James Gleave, Jodie Irwin of Central Beds Council Strategic Transport Officer and Leonard Lean.
3. Review of where things are at transport-wise in the Ampthill-Flitwick local areas:
a. Ampthill Town Council state they are against the station idea and will oppose it.
b. The meeting was unclear as to what their real objections are and would welcome a crystal clarification and the rationale/reasons behind such a view.
c. We would welcome them and Central Beds Council to be represented at the meeting with others inc. Centre Parcs.
d. A study could include objections but also establish the case and balance the two sides.
e. It was agreed to pioneer the meeting and continue to invite players to it as well as any public interest.
f. We should and need to have a Zoom facilitator for such meetings as well for small specific discussions as well as wider ‘open to all’ meetings. It would enable a more informed meeting in future feeding into the physical forum.
g. Colin to contact Cllr Jake Bishop to get a fuller picture, Richard to furnish Colin with his details.
h. Simon to give Jodie Irwin’s details to Colin to try and follow her up to see what may be common ground.
i. The meeting was reminded of Flitwick’s situation of too much traffic and increasingly so and that the station just happens to be adjacent to Ampthill, but in sum, it covers a scope and spectrum of upwards of 70, 000 population shared with Flitwick (35, 000 a-piece. For example, there’s the immediate growing cluster of Ampthill and Flitwick, then there’s A507 corridor off M1/East Milton Keynes for direct to airports, Eurostar and City (employment) as well as leisure line preferences. Then there’s the Woburn-Wrest Park arc with A507 as heavily used road-way. Then there’s south of Wixams and the Marston Vale wanting a north-south rail portal. Can Flitwick cope with all this, let alone 10 years of solid development and associated 2.5 cars per household averages?
4. Introduction to the idea of an Ampthill Parkway Railway Station: Known basics.
5. The way forward:
a. Appeal to join ERTA and patronise the sales stall
b. Please help grow the forum and encourage support
c. Any offers to pursue the courting of funding for a study
d. Volunteers needed with local knowledge, daily experiences and willing to lobby councillors to give interest and support – town, village councils and Central Beds Unitary Council.
e. Land use a key element, development pressures abound, so we have a window, but 10 years of dithering it can be lost.
f. People tend to drive south to commute to London, so Wixams deals with North of Bedford and South Bedford, but Ampthill would alleviate Flitwick and cater for a much wider area between M1 and A6 for example via A507 – a busy corridor.
g. ERTA needs more people, members, sponsorship and locals sharing the project, buying into it and shouldering some responsibility
h. Brian Brennan said he wanted to pursue the car park idea. He showed (see appendix 1) a diagram of his land off Fordfield Road. South of which may be developed otherly (houses) feeding traffic into Froghall Road.
i. Time is running out, we need someone to spearhead and get to it/inform and grow a team. A designated ERTA Rep for it. Simon to talk to the university, colleges and volunteer bureaus (Bedford, Luton, Milton Keynes for example). There was caution on Bedford Voluntary Bureau as they have not produced much in the way of volunteers for many years for us.
j. Brian to get some market research done and do his bit to promote the cause and feed into the meeting keen and willing people. He mentioned IPROS MORI and a Mr Mark Bell.
6. Any Other Business: None except any funding or donations to the ERTA flyer and offers to help distribute are welcome to entertain. Colin to contact Cllr Mark Smith to try and win him over. Richard to furnish him with Mark’s details.
7. Day, Date, Time and Place of next Meeting – suggest a Saturday in early July. Confirmed as Saturday 15th July 1pm food, 2pm business – same venue.
Model local station design on the slow lines? https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/council-confirms-wixams-station-is-priority-of-its-rail-strategy-plans/
For pdf minutes, more detail or enquiries or indeed, offers to help and work with us (it is all voluntary) is welcome to entertain via richard.erta@gmail.com T. 01234 330090
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