Work ongoing to transform Stafford’s railway station

Hundreds of new homes, business space and a multi-storey car park are earmarked for previously developed land as part of the Stafford Station Gateway project.

It was announced in late 2023 that £20m was being awarded from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund towards work to bring the scheme to light. 

But Stafford Borough Council faced a wait of more than a year for the confirmation of the funding.

On Tuesday (February 4) members of the council’s Economic Development and Planning Scrutiny Committee were given an update on progress. 

The authority is working with Staffordshire County Council and Network Rail on the scheme.

Michelle Smith, the council’s economic growth and strategic partnership manager, said: “In November 2023 we announced we had been awarded just shy of £20m for the development of the Station Gateway site, then things went a little bit quiet. 

"It was re-announced just before Christmas and in the interim all local authorities were asked to do an exercise making sure all of the maths sat behind the bids because of the passage of time.

“The land acquisition work is still ongoing and there will be a report coming to cabinet shortly with the details following the negotiations. It’s moving along as planned.

“Doxey Road land reclamation is the county council’s element of the Levelling Up money. The county council ownership is the land around the Stafford Western Access Route and it is now available for redevelopment.

“Because of the previous uses there have been on that site – primarily the Universal Works – to get the land to a position where a developer sees a development opportunity, somebody has to find out if there is any cleaning up that needs doing. 

"They’re moving on with that in the background; it starts off with ground investigation works, which is not terribly exciting, but really important for them to understand what work needs to be done to the land as we move forward.

“In terms of existing tenants, this relates to two on the county council land including Community Link Stafford and District – all of the minibuses parked along Doxey Road. The borough council is supporting them to find an alternative home because they will need to vacate that site; that conversation is still ongoing and we have met with the community transport team again two weeks ago.

“We’re still talking to Network Rail about the potential for a pedestrian access to the west of the station. What should be a relatively straightforward thing to try and achieve involves lots of different parties and there are some detailed conversations going on with all parties to try and move that forward.”

The Stafford Station Gateway Project is separate to another scheme currently taking place to improve the station entrance. Work got underway on the ground last month to refurbish the concourse, install new street furniture, increase disabled parking provision near the station and provide a larger relocated public short-stay car park and it is expected to be completed in the spring.

Councillor Rob Kenney, deputy leader of the council with responsibility for town centres, said: “The railway station is the first impression visitors travelling to the county town by train will experience. And you only get one chance to make that first impression.

“Visitors and rail users will exit onto an enhanced concourse and in front of them is the award-winning Victoria Park – which underwent its own restoration not so long ago. This will be a fantastic advert for the town.”