Leamington Station Prospectus Final
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STATIONS AS PLACES Opportunity Prospectus An integrated vision and delivery masterplan for Leamington Spa Station LEAMINGTON SPA STATION November 2020 FOREWORD Introducing the concept of Stations as Places The Stations as Places programme aims to promote local railway stations as community ‘hubs’ rather than simply access points onto the rail network. The vision is to develop local railway stations as an asset highly valued within the community, contributing to economic growth and acting as a hub for creativity, heritage and social amenity. The Vision “We will develop stations as quality gateways between communities and the railway, supporting the changing needs of our passengers, residents and visitors. Stations in the West Midlands will be community assets, supporting the wellbeing and development of the areas they serve through involving local community and business.” ~ West Midlands Station Alliance (WMSA) Mission Statement What does the prospectus do for Leamington Spa Station? This Opportunity Prospectus sets out the economic, social and geographic landscape of the area around the station and highlights some of the opportunities for commercial development, partnership working, inward investment and community regeneration. Leamington Spa is a creative hub in the West Midlands and continues to build on its ‘Silicon Spa’ status with the Creative Quarter redevelopment, currently focused around Spencer Yard. Significant development along the Europa Way corridor will bring new homes and community space to the town, including a new stadium and athletics track. Hosting the bowls event as part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will highlight Leamington Spa on an international stage, providing a local and regional economic boost in employment, visitor footfall and spending. Leamington Spa Station will be an important transport gateway, making now the prime time to identify opportunities for improvement at the station and strengthen the role of the station in the community. Coronavirus (Covid-19) Reviving our Railway The Covid-19 pandemic has caused massive economic and social disruption. The Department for Transport has replaced the rail franchising system with Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements (ERMAs) which will address the continuing impact of the pandemic on the railway, whilst delivering on a government commitment to replace the current franchising system. The new system will create a simpler, more effective structure and will take shape over the coming months. We were proud to keep our railways running during the pandemic to serve key workers and allow them to travel safely. We are now in a phase of reviving our railways and the communities they serve. There are big new challenges for our Stations as Places Programme: • Passenger numbers will take time to recover. • The way in which station buildings are used has changed. • City, town and local centres will have to reinvent themselves as retailers withdraw and office buildings are less full. • Ways of funding new investment will need to be transform. Stations as Places will be forward looking and opportunistic. ‘The moment is now’ for stations to harness community spirit, pursue more entrepreneurial ways of using station buildings and support the revitalisation of high streets and local centres. Contents Chapter Page Why ‘Stations as Places’ for Leamington Spa Station? 1 Bringing our partners together 2 About Leamington Spa Station 3 - 8 The Headline Opportunities – The Station 9 The Headline Opportunities – The Surrounding Area 10 - 11 Opportunity Plan 12 Understanding the potential for growth 13 The Aspiration 14 - 15 Development Opportunities 16 Opportunities for Investment 17 Action Plan 18 Who to contact and how to get involved 19 1 Why ‘Stations as Places’ for Leamington Spa Station? Who are the West Midlands Station Alliance? THE VISION The WMSA is a formal alliancing arrangement between industry partners with a common vision and forward plan, including infrastructure owner Network Rail, station facilities owner Chiltern Railways, operator West Midlands Trains (WMT) and West Midlands Rail Executive. The role of the WMSA is to facilitate Stations as Places by bringing together various stakeholders to work together in partnership, ensuring that the Stations as Places vision and local aspirations are shared between the stakeholders, the infrastructure owner, the station facilities owner and the local government. Why has Leamington Spa Station been selected? Leamington Spa railway station, located on the Chiltern Main Line, is an important station for commuters into Birmingham, London Marylebone and Oxford, as well as other destinations such as Coventry and Solihull. It is also a key station on the CrossCountry network. With the 2022 Commonwealth Games approaching, this is a prime time for Leamington Spa to invest in the station and surrounding area, delivering improvements which would benefit regular users, the local community and businesses in the town. This Prospectus provides an opportunity to engage with the stakeholders of Leamington Spa station to capture the opportunities and commitment to delivering improvements at the station, making the station a gateway worthy of such a historic and beautiful town. The drivers for developing this location Passenger numbers at Leamington Spa have increased by over 100% from 2003 to 2013, well above the UK national average, and are expected to continue increasing. The town centre itself suffers from congestion and poor air quality; it is therefore essential that passengers are encouraged to access the station using more sustainable modes. In turn, increasing footfall around the station presents an opportunity for businesses to benefit. With 4,500 new homes and community facilities expected to be delivered in the Europa Way corridor alone, significant housing development on the edges of the town will only increase use of the station. Combined with the 2022 Commonwealth Games placing Leamington Spa on an international stage, exciting proposals to reinvigorate the station forecourt highlight the need to ensure the station itself and surrounding area deliver an equally welcoming and attractive gateway to the town. 2 Bringing our Partners together Our stakeholders really matter to us. Stakeholder feedback is key to creating a prospectus that resonates with different audiences and ensures consensus on the future of the station and surrounding area. We want to ensure that what we collect and receive is representative and inclusive. Our approach to capturing local insights in Leamington Spa covers the following four dimensions: LOCAL PERSPECTIVE SOCIAL VALUE Railways stations should reflect and cater for the Transforming a railway station from a ‘passenger local community to which it serves thoroughfare’ into a genuine community asset will To help shape the future of the station to meet the needs have a positive impact on the local community of the local community, involving them in the planning Residents and businesses are more likely to take process is critical. Community involvement helps to ownership of their local station if it is a pleasant and safe make a station a more attractive and valuable community place to be, meets their needs and represents local asset. Stations as Places aims to establish strong links people and heritage. A railway station as a valued between the station management and businesses, the community hub can offer a real contribution to improving community and other local stakeholders, ensuring that social inclusion and mental wellbeing; from promoting the voice of the community is heard. inclusivity through the Friends of’ Leamington Spa Station group or simply making waiting as a part of a morning commute more pleasant. LEGACY COMMUNITY An important objective of Stations as Places is to A railway station is often a great asset to a provide a long-term legacy by establishing integration community, but a community can also be a great and community involvement at the heart of the station. asset to a railway station This will involve the community taking a level of ownership The enthusiasm and longevity of Friends of Leamington of the stations and passing this onto the future generations Spa Station demonstrates the value of the station as a to keep each station a valuable part of the local community asset, however there is room to grow this community. Of course, Network Rail, West Midlands community involvement. Most importantly, an integrated Trains and the Local Government will also have an station shows that people care and that they have important role in the legacy of the station and that is why something to be proud of, improving social inclusion and partnership working between the community and these mental wellbeing whilst making the station a more organisations is so important. pleasant place to be. 3 ABOUT LEAMINGTON SPA STATION Key Facts Did you know? The station is situated to the south of the town centre off Old Warwick Road, between the River Leam and the Leamington Spa used to Grand Union Canal. It sits to the north of light industrial land and out of town retail areas as well as the residential be a tiny village, known as zones of Warwick Gates, Whitnash and Sydenham. Passenger volumes place Leamington Spa as the fourth Leamington Priors, until busiest station on the Chiltern Railways network, after London Marylebone, Birmingham Moor Street and High saline springs were Wycombe. rediscovered in 1784. Following this discovery, ‘The Royal Pump Room and Baths’ were opened in 1814