Park and Ride boost plans are back on track

Plans for a £4 million development to more than double the size of the park and ride scheme at a Black Country station are back on track, it was revealed today.

Plans to create 480 new spaces at Rowley Regis are being revisited.

They were on hold due to lack of funding but passenger transport authority Centro says it is a "priority", and it has bought land off Station Road. Mark Langford, of Centro, said: "The car parking at Rowley Regis train station is a priority development because we own the land.

"No set date is timetabled yet but redevelopment work will start later this year and then we will establish what work needs to be done and how much each part will cost."

Work at the station was due to start this financial year but was hit by cuts.

Alongside those plans was a £1.2m extension of the Wednesbury Parkway Midland Metro stop, which would add 128 spaces on top of the 142 already in place.

Passengers had also hoped for more parking at Tame Bridge Parkway Midland Metro stop. All three station car parks are regularly full with passengers forced to park on the pavement.

Mr Langford however said any plans for Wednesbury Parkway or Tame Bridge Parkway were "under evaluation".

"There are no plans drawn up for either station at the moment," he added.

Negotiations to buy land surrounding Wednesbury Parkway Midland Metro stop, on Leabrook Road, are still under way.

Centro bosses are also considering long-term options to expand the busy park and ride at Cradley Heath railway station in light of a new private development opposite.

Derelict land which used to be home to steel factory AS Rolling Mills is due to be transformed into 40 apartments. Hagley-based Selbourne Homes has now been given planning permission to turn the site into a 136-space parking spot for train users.