New deal over station parking

By NATALIE BROADBENT

Natalie.broadbent@archant.co.uk

THE owner of land once used as a free car park at Ashwell and Morden railway station is to re-open the area on a formal basis.

Jeremy Fordham will develop the land into an organised and paid for car park which will open in the spring.

He said: "I have had assurance from Cambridgeshire County Council that it will support me so I decided to open the car park.

"It will provide personal parking spots for those people who want them."

Mr Fordham first opened the 30-space car park in a field on his Odesy farm in May 2005 after a request from the county council with the support of the South Cambridgeshire District Council and three parish councils.

However, he closed it in July this year after receiving a £1,300 rates bill from the district council.

At the time, Mr Fordham said: "I am perfectly willing to allow temporary free parking on my land, but I do not expect to be charged by the district council for doing so."

The new car park will include allocated car spaces, a 24-hour closed-circuit television system, safe pedestrian access and landscaping to fit in with the rural environment.

Mr Fordham said: "There will be an annual charge which will be slightly less than what people are charged for a season ticket now and will be payable quarterly in advance."

County Councillor, Linda Oliver, said: "I am very pleased indeed that a solution is coming forward which will benefit residents and commuters - and which can be designed not to intrude upon a rural environment.

"It should help maintain usage of the station at Ashwell and reduce any further threats to the rail service provision.

"If we want maximum usage of rail services then, in areas such as the Mordens where the station is a fair distance from villages, then we have to have adequate parking facilities," she said.