Dan Norris has denied that funding for the Portishead station could yet be stymied by a spending review this summer. The mayor of the West of England said he was very confident the station plan, which has hit the buffers several times before, would soon press full steam ahead.
Last month the Portishead line project was given the green light by the Department for Transport, following months of uncertainty after the government was reviewing its funding. But the project faces one more barrier, as the funding still needs final approval.
This June the government will lay out its budget plans in a ‘comprehensive spending review’. The mayor was grilled by councillors on the West of England’s overview and scrutiny committee about whether the review could ‘run a red line’ through Portishead.
Green Councillor Jerome Thomas, chair of the scrutiny committee, said: “It’s wonderful news about the Portishead line. But suddenly we hear that there’s a caveat about the comprehensive spending review, and whether actually the Portishead line will survive the comprehensive spending review.”
The line will see two new stations built, in Portishead and Pill. The railway closed to passengers in the 1960s, but is still used by freight. Reopening the stations will cut journey times into Bristol, although services will only run once an hour as the railway is just a single track.
Mr Norris said: “There are always things at any point in government that could stymie any initiative. This is no different. I’m just very confident that this will happen. We have worked extremely hard to get it to where it is. It’s not just important for the project, it’s also important for North Somerset Council, because they’ve underwritten an awful lot of money.
“For all sorts of reasons, it’s the right thing to do. You’re asking me ‘will things go ahead if there’s a nuclear bomb’. We hope there isn’t a nuclear bomb and we hope this isn’t going to be stymied by anything the central government decides. All we can do is what we can do, and we’ve been doing it well on this and we’ll keep doing it.”
Elsewhere, three new stations will be explored at Ashton Gate and St Anne’s in Bristol, and Saltford. The combined authority will develop business cases for these potential stations. Two new stations recently opened in Ashley Down and at the Portway park and ride, while two more are planned for North Filton near the new arena and Henbury.
There are no current plans at the combined authority to explore new train stations south of Bristol, apart from Saltford. A railway line used to run south from Brislington to Radstock, stopping at places like Whitchurch, Pensford, Clutton and Midsomer Norton.
Mr Norris said: “I have a fantasy that the line that used to exist and run past near my home over the Pensford Viaduct would still be there. But of course it’s been very developed and houses have been built on the track.
“What a shame that happened and what a shame we couldn’t reopen that line. That would have been exciting, because you see the traffic coming up [the A37], you realise that would be an amazing opportunity to deal with the traffic, meet the needs of people and help the planet too.”
The mayor then interrupted the session to take a phone call, as a delivery driver asked for instructions to deliver a package to his house.