LONGBRIDGE STATION PLAN “JUST A GOLD-PLATED CAR PARK”

26-04-2007

Northfield MP Richard Burden has hit out at Centro’s plans for the redevelopment of Longbridge station close to the old Rover factory, calling it an “opportunity wasted”. He said their proposals amounted to “little more than a gold-plated car park”.

Burden is furious that Centro has rejected the opportunity to create a more accessible frontage and a major transport interchange on the site - and ended up with idea remarkably similar to the one they first started with ie the creation of a multi-storey car park.

While this might help commuters coming from outside the city boundary, heargues that with the regeneration of the area around the car plant now underway, this was an opportunity to do so much more with the site.

“Centro need to get behind this. We’re saying that Longbridge is the chance to create something special, but this is wasted opportunity. What’s most disappointing is the poverty of aspiration” Burden said.

The MP’s fear is that an unimaginativepark n’ ride scheme will be so low down on the list of priorities of the regional transport plan that it might take years to come to fruition, whereas a bolder and more expensive concept might have more chance of success.

As an example of Centro’s lack of imagination, Burden pointed to the long-standing plans for a heavy rail link to nearby Frankley.

In reality this probably won’t be built without financial assistance from a developer, but developers are reluctant to come on board because there are plans for a heavy rail link through the area - a classic Catch 22 requiring a more creative approach, possibly involving trams or light rail.

“It’s no good putting the heavy rail link on the plan year after year if it’s not going to happen. You just create this giant trench through the area that puts anybody off doing anything” he said.

“We’ve got to start see the transport agenda as part of the regeneration agenda, not something separate. If you don’t plan them together, they both go down”.