STATIONS AS PLACES Opportunity Prospectus Integration, Community and Delivery: a Master Plan for Tame Bridge Parkway Station Tame Bridge Parkway Station January 2020 Why ‘Stations as Places’ for Bescot? 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. What do we Know 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 community ENGAGEMENT Who are the West Midlands Station Alliance? WMSA is a formal alliancing arrangement between industry partners with a common vision and 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 building a shared between the stakeholders, the infrastructure owner - the station facilities owner - and the Local Government. VISION Why Tame Bridge Station has been selected? Tame Bridge Parkway is an important park-and-ride station, particularly for the commuter market into Birmingham City Centre. The station benefits from good access to and from the M6 and the wider regional road network. Stations as Places The drivers for developing this location PROSPECTUS Tame Bridge Parkway is a highly functional station but with limited amenity or interest. The station has good rail connections for a station of its size, i.e. direct services to Birmingham International and London. The Birmingham New Street to Walsall railway line will provide the primary access by rail to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. It is critical that access to all stations on this line is maximised to encourage travel by non-car modes. Monitoring Progress & The area is also undergoing significant regeneration with mixed-use developments planned for the area.This provides Continuing Engagement a major opportunity for the station as well as providing opportunities for the future regeneration (i.e. improved transport connections). The Prospectus This Prospectus sets out the headline opportunities for Tame Bridge Parkway station; including car parking management, community integration, improvements to the passenger environment. The flow chart on the right shows how we are delivering Stations as Places in Tame Bridge Parkway. 1 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 Some railway stations are ideally suited for some areas and not at all for community can also be a great asset to a railway station. others. In the local vicinity there is a sizeable residential community, including To help shape the future of the Tame Bridge station to the needs and the residential areas of Friar Park, Yew Tree and Charlemont. Access to requirements of the local community, involving the community in the planning the station for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles is via the A4031 dual process is critical. The travel survey can establish how and when people carriageway. travel to and from the stations but community involvement helps to make a station a more attractive and valuable community asset. Stations as Community involvement at Tame Bridge Parkway station is lower than at Places aims to establish strong links between the station management and many other stations in the West Midlands. Hence, the local community businesses, the community and other local stakeholders; ensuring that the being identified as a great opportunity for the station, now and in the voice of the community is heard. future. SOCIAL VALUE LEGACY Transforming a railway station from a ‘passenger thoroughfare’ into An important objective of Stations as Places it to provide a long-term a genuine community asset will have a positive impact on the local legacy by establishing integration and community involvement as the community. heart of the Tame Bridge Parkway station. Residents and businesses are more likely to take ownership of their This will involve the community taking a level of ownership of the stations and local station if it is a pleasant and safe place to be, meets their needs passing this onto the future generations to keep each station a valuable part and represents local people and heritage. A railway station as a valued of the local community. Of course, community hub can offer a real contribution to improving social inclusion Network Rail, West Midlands Trains and mental wellbeing; from promoting inclusivity through membership of a and the Local Government will also ‘friends of’ group or simply making waiting as a part of a morning commute have an important role in the legacy of more pleasant. the station and that is why partnership working between the community and Most importantly, an integrated station shows that people care and that these organisations is so important. they have something to be proud of. 2 What do we know? PUBLIC TRANSPORT, WALKING AND CYCLING ACCESS ANNUAL PASSENGER FOOTFALL • 27 cycle parking spaces: 11 stands and 5 lockers • Taxi contact information is provided at the station and online • Step-free access to both platforms and between platforms Bus Number Destination(s) Stop Location Frequency 4 Walsall 6 mins daytime 4H West Bromwich 30 mins evening 4M Blackheath 2-minute walk from 41 Walsall 30 mins daytime Willenhall station entrance Walsall 15 mins daytime 45 West Bromwich 30 mins evening LOCAL ACTIVITIES FACILITIES AND THE STATION Manor House Museum. The Manor House (formerly a public house) is the most recent building to become part of Sandwell Museum Service. The pub closed in 2009 and the building is in the process • Seated area with canopy on both platforms and of being turned into a heritage visitor attraction and for use for a variety of community projects and seats within the ticket office activities, however, this is very much a work in progress. • Ticket office staffed at the following times only: - Monday - Friday 06:00 to 19:00 Pathfinder Tours. Pathfinder Tours operates a series of railway tours from Tame Bridge Parkway - Saturday 07:00 to 19:00 each year. These travel through the West Midlands and the South West, terminating in Penzance in - Sunday 10.00 to 16:00 Cornwall or Kingswear in Devon. • Automatic ticket machine • Customer information screen, showing live train Friar Park Millennium Centre, located in Friar Park, provided activities for young and vulnerable information people as well as retired people. The Centre is located approximately 1.5km from the station • CCTV (however, this involves using the unattractive walkway as described earlier). Joseph Leckie Academy is a secondary school located approximately 7 minutes’ walk from the main Tame Bridge Parkway station. The school has over 1300 pupils aged between 11 and 18 and includes sixth form students. Recently the school was awarded almost £4 million to which will be used to build a new teaching block (due to be opened in November 2019). CAR PARKING AND ACCESSIBILITY Kent Road Park provides an attractive green space adjacent to the station, however, access between the park and the station is poor. There is car parking provision at Tame Bridge Parkway station for 226 vehicles with 14 allocated blue badge spaces. The car park is directly adjacent to platform 1 with access via a ramped footway. Access to platform 2 is via the A4031 road bridge. The car park is free to park and open 24 hours. 3 The Headline Opportunities THE SURROUNDING AREA Surrounding land use activities Bescot Railway Yard The Bescot maintenance depot and railway yard is located directly to the southeast of Bescot Stadium station.. Network Rail has also submitted a planning application for a new railway sleeper manufacturing facility and train crew depot adjacent to the depot / rail yard. If permission is granted for this developments, it is expected that there will be an increase in passenger numbers from Bescot Stadium station due to the generation of additional jobs at the site. Walsall and Leather The development of the town's leather industry grew rapidly after 1840, partially as a result of the building of the South Staffordshire Railway which reached Walsall in 1847. By 1851 there were 75 firms making bridles, saddles and harnesses. At the turn of the 20th century Walsall was home to nearly a third of Britain's saddlers and harness makers; giving Walsall FC the nickname of the ‘The Saddlers’. Walsall's surviving leather manufacturers have increasingly