Council Delays Rail Crossing Vote Amidst Public Opposition

A local council has deferred making a determination regarding a railway crossing, an issue that has generated public opposition for a dozen years. Residents of Wareham have been advocating since 2012 for the retention of the current pedestrian level crossing, notwithstanding Network Rail’s intention to discontinue its operation. Edward Fox OBE, an actor who backs the residents’ initiative, previously stated that a planned footbridge would “cut the town in half”. Cabinet members of Dorset Council, scheduled to render a decision on Tuesday, were informed that the matter had been put off to facilitate discussions with the rail regulator. Over 200 individuals participated in a protest held on Saturday, opposing the proposed footbridge. Edward Fox commented: “This would cut the town in half, an extraordinary notion in itself, isolate vulnerable residents for whom it would be impossible to use the steep ramps and prevent schoolchildren from cycling to school.” A report from Dorset Council indicated that the envisioned footbridge would feature step-free ramp access, notwithstanding the unsuccessful outcomes of comparable proposals in 2013, 2015, and 2018. Nevertheless, on Tuesday evening, council leader Nick Ireland informed his cabinet colleagues that a vote would not proceed. In a statement he read aloud, he declared: “I’ve listened to the views that have been expressed by Wareham Town Council, the local ward members Councillor Beryl Ezzard and Councillor Ryan Holloway, and many others.” “Following a meeting earlier today with Vikki Slade, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, I’ve agreed to defer this paper to enable her to meet with the Office of Rail and Road to finally bottom out the realistic options for the level crossing at Wareham Station, and this paper may or may not come back at some future date.” A road level crossing has not been present adjacent to Wareham station since the construction of the town’s bypass in 1973. Since 2010, personnel have managed gates at the pedestrian crossing, situated alongside a stepped footbridge. Network Rail announced in 2012 its intention to close the crossing as part of a nationwide initiative of closures.