Waterbeach's new railway station may not have toilets

Councillors said without “extremely basic facilities” people may not use the new station.

The plans for the station were approved in 2020, but it has not yet been built. Work is currently expected to start in 2026 and be completed in 2027.

The new railway station is due to replace the existing station in the village and will be built further along the line to closer serve the Waterbeach New Town development, where 11,000 homes are being built.

A requirement was agreed back in 2021 that the new station had to be built before the second phase of 4,500 homes could go ahead.

Originally it had been expected that the developer would lead the work, but in 2022 the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) agreed to take on the project after the developer failed to get a commercial funding agreement for the scheme.

The relocation project was estimated to cost £37million, with the GCP agreeing to pay £20million and the developer due to fund £17million.

The GCP also agreed to forward fund the developer’s share on the condition it was repaid.

A report presented to the GCP’s joint assembly this week (October 16) said Homes England has agreed to provide a grant of up to £23.35 million for the project, including the cost of constructing the haul road to the station.

This money will need to be repaid by the developers of Waterbeach New Town.

Councillor Anna Bradnam, ward councillor for the area, said people currently living in the village would “dearly” like there to be better provision made at the new station compared to the existing one.

She said people want to see some of the “normal things you expect as a normal minimum” at a station, such as ways to buy a ticket, toilets, a waiting room, and potentially a shop.

Councillor Claire Daunton said she was concerned that some basic facilities are not proposed to be provided at the new station.

She said: “I am really concerned that we would be having a station that did not provide basic facilities; that might then lead to people choosing another station down the line, such as Cambridge North which is already at capacity.”

Councillor Paul Bearpark said he agreed with Cllr Daunton and Cllr Bradnam about the need for basic facilities at the new station.

He said: “We need those facilities to encourage people to use the station rather than getting in cars. I do not think having a station replicating the existing station is good enough. Toilets are an extremely basic facility that needs to be there.”

He asked whether space at the station could be safeguarded for those facilities and whether further funding could be sought to pay for them.

Councillor Heather Williams said the plans did show a platform shelter but said the approved application did mention that permission was given for “associated facilities” for the station.

She said she was on the planning committee that considered the application and that these facilities were discussed.

Cllr Williams said: “At the time, these things were meant to be coming forward, so it is disappointing to hear [they are not].”

Officers said the requirements for the station had been set out by Network Rail.

They said conversations have been taking place about the idea of creating a travel hub building outside the station, linking up the station with other transport projects that are in the works for Waterbeach.

However, they said this was still in early development.

Stephen Kelly, joint director of the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning service, said the masterplan for Waterbeach New Town recognised the importance of the station as a destination in the development.

He said this will influence how the land is used around the station.

Mr Kelly also said he understood there were concerns about the GCP funding the new station and questions about whether it should be.

He said it was not out of the ordinary for the public sector to help pay for the delivery of some infrastructure in major developments.

Cllr Williams said she appreciated this point but said the planning committee was “assured by the developer” when they approved the plans that funding for the station was “in hand”.

She said she thought it was right that the Homes England funding would be paid back by the developer but said the GCP should also be looking to “claw back” what it is paying.

Cllr Williams said: “I do not think we should be bailing out the developer.”

Mr Kelly said that if the developer made more profit, they would pay more money in strategic transport contributions.

However, he suggested that renegotiation of contributions could impact the amount of affordable housing that would be built in the development.