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Stratford-Upon-Avon Station STATIONS AS PLACES Opportunity Prospectus Integration, Community and Delivery: A Masterplan for Stratford-upon-Avon station STRATFORD-UPON-AVON STATION May 2020 FOREWORD Introducing the concept of Stations as Places The Stations as Places (SAP) programme is a process to help put railway stations at the heart of local communities. It is designed to help create a vision for the future and to identify opportunities for delivering improvements to the local environment and create a welcoming ambience. The aim is to work in partnership with others to unlock potential and to meet shared objectives and aspirations. Railway stations are more than access points to the rail network; they can be hubs of activity that are rooted in the locality with the potential to support regeneration and development opportunities. They can also host community and business activities and offer facilities/infrastructure to encourage sustainable, multi modal travel with a view to reducing car dependency and improving local air quality. 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 this prospectus do for Stratford-upon-Avon Station? There is an important role for the railways to play in both the economic and social regeneration of the local areas which our stations serve. This Opportunity Prospectus sets out the economic, social and geographic landscape of the area around our station and highlights some of the opportunities for commercial development, partnership working, inward investment and community regeneration. We have included a profile of Stratford-upon-Avon station in this document and looked at different types of activity neighbouring our stations, from local businesses providing facilities to the travelling public, local authorities using existing assets in different ways, businesses looking for investment opportunities and the Get in touch and keep up to date impact of new development in the surrounding area. Contents You can email [email protected] and one of the team will get back to you! Chapter Page Chapter Page Why ‘Stations as Places’? 2 'Last Mile' Concept Plan 14 You can also follow progress on Stations Bringing our Partners together 3 Local Growth – Planning 15 as Places at: About the Station 4-5 Opportunity Plan 16 www.wmre.org.uk/stationsalliance Station Typology 6-7 Making the Station a better place 17-18 Sustainable Transport Thinking’ 8 Stakeholder Findings 19 What Do We Know? 9 Opportunities for Investment 20 Services and Trains 10 Delivery Strategy 21 Station Layout 11 Action Plan and Targets 22 The Headline Opportunities 12-13 Who to contact and how to get involved 23 1 Why ‘Stations as Places’ for Stratford-upon-Avon? Who are the West Midlands Station Alliance? WMSA is a formal alliancing arrangement between industry partners with a common vision and What dowe know? forward plan, including infrastructure owner Network Rail, station facilities owner West Midlands Trains (WMT) and local government 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 infrastructureowner- the station facilities owner- and the LocalGovernment. Community ENGAGEMENT Why Stratford-upon-Avon Station has been selected? Stratford-upon-Avon is an important station for commuters and visitors to the town. The station has an important role as a gateway to the leisure, tourism, cultural and economic parts of the town. Stratford-upon-Avon station opens up the West Midlands region, enabling the community to access employment, education and training across the region and to support a Building a growth in Stratford-upon-Avon tourism. VISION The station has an important role to play in local economic growth and regeneration of surrounding residential areas, including ongoing development of the Stratford-upon-Avon planning framework area. The drivers for developing this location Stations asPlaces The Station has seen a rise in rail patronage, with a 16% increase in passenger numbers in the last year reaching 107,638 PROSPECTUS passengers per annum in 2019. Stratford-upon-Avon station has seen an increase in passenger number, however the station is under-utilised.. Monitoring Progress & The Prospectus Continuing Engagement This Prospectus sets out the headline opportunities for Stratford-upon- Avon Station; including community integration, improvements to the passenger environment and promoting Stratford-upon-Avon’s heritage (such as the Shakespeare's birth place). The flow chart on the right shows how we are delivering Stations as Places in Stratford-upon-Avon 2 Bringing our Partners together Our stakeholders really matter to us. Whether it’s a major developer building new homes in reach of the station or an individual customer that needs to be able to make an easy journey to a hospital appointment using a combination of train and bus, the Stations as Places team wants to hear views from stakeholders and customers. Our inclusive consultation approach ensures we cover the 4 dimensions of: COMMUNITY LOCAL PERSPECTIVE A railway station is often a great asset to a community, but a community The role of a station will depend on it’s location and the needs of the can also be a great asset to a railway station. community and businesses that surround it. The station at Stratford-upon-Avon needs to meet Stratford-upon-Avon Station is already a the needs and requirements of the local community asset as the gateway to the community and needs to evolve with the town for the wider community. As part of community as needs and requirements change. the ‘Adopt a Station’ gardening project The travel survey can establish how and when Friends of Stratford Station (FOSS) people travel to and from the stations but assisted by Network Rail and West community involvement helps to make a station a Midlands Railways completed new more attractive and valuable community asset. landscaping and planting to improve the Stations as Places aims to establish strong links overall look and welcome to the station. between the station management and The Shakespeare Line Promotion Group (SLPG) encourages the use businesses, the community and other local of Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon railway and promote the line's stakeholders; ensuring that the voice of the benefits to residents and visitors alike. community is heard. SOCIAL VALUE LEGACY Transforming a railway station from a ‘passenger thoroughfare’ into a An important objective of Stations as Places is to provide a long-term genuine community asset will have a positive impact on the local legacy by establishing integration and community involvement as the community. heart of the Stratford-upon-Avon station. Residents and businesses are more likely This will involve the community taking a to take ownership of their local station if it level of ownership of the stations and is a pleasant and safe place to be, meets their needs and represents local people passing this onto the future generations to and heritage. A railway station as a keep each station a valuable part of the valued community hub can offer a real local community. Of course, Network Rail, contribution to improving social inclusion West Midlands Railway and the Local Government will also have an important and mental wellbeing; from promoting inclusivity through membership of a role in the legacy of the station and that is ‘friends of’ group or simply making waiting why partnership working between the community and these organisations is so as a part of a morning commute more important. pleasant. 3 About the station KEY FACTS Stratford-upon-Avon railway station is the southern terminus of the North Warwickshire Line and Leamington Spa-Stratford line. Prior to August 1976, the station provided direct links to the south of the region via the Cotswold Line, however the derailment of a freight train prompted British Rail to withdraw the link. 1862 The current station was opened on 24 July 1861, as a through station linking Birmingham and Cheltenham. Long-distance services were cut back from September 1962. A few passenger services remained south of Stratford to Gloucester until 1968, and to Worcester via Honeybourne until 1969. The line south of Stratford remained open for freight until 1976, when damage caused by a serious freight train derailment led to the closure of the line entirely. The track south of Stratford-upon-Avon was lifted in 1979. A £1.5million refurbishment of the station was completed in Summer 2020. This refurbishment included new waiting and seating areas developed, better retail facilities introduced, new accessible toilets and cycle racks. 1950 FACILITIES OVERVIEW LOCAL ACTIVITIES There are a number of local activities in the area, with Stratford being Stratford-upon-Avon Station the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Staffed Ticket Office • There are a number of local attraction associated with William Improved indoor waiting room and ticket office Shakespeare including Shakespeare's birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Mary Arden’s Farm and the Royal 1980 Ticket Machines Shakespeare Company and theatre. • Many of these attractions are accessed by a hop on open top bus Public accessible pay phones tours operated by sightseeing Stratford and links the town and Improved retail facilities at the station Shakespeare trust locations. Bike Stands for up to 20 bikes located on platform 1 • Stratford-upon-Avon Racecourse offers a number of horse racing meets throughout the season as well as a number of concerts and Toilet facilities available when the Ticket Office family fun events).
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