STATIONS AS PLACES. Opportunity Prospectus LEAMINGTON SPA STATION. An integrated vision and delivery masterplan for Leamington Spa Station

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An integrated vision and delivery masterplan for Leamington Spa Station

STATIONS AS PLACES

Opportunity Prospectus

LEAMINGTON SPA STATION

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FOREWORD

Introducing the concept of Stations as Places

The Stations as Places programme aims to promote local railway stations as community ‘hubs’ rather than simply access

points onto the rail network. The vision is to develop local railway stations as an asset highly valued within the community,

contributing to economic growth and acting as a hub for creativity, heritage and social amenity.

The Vision

“We will develop stations as quality gateways between communities and the railway, supporting the changing

needs of our passengers, residents and visitors. Stations in the West Midlands will be community assets,

supporting the wellbeing and development of the areas they serve through involving local community and

business.”

~ West Midlands Station Alliance (WMSA) Mission Statement

What does the prospectus do for Leamington Spa Station?

This Opportunity Prospectus sets out the economic, social and geographic landscape of the area around the station and

highlights some of the opportunities for commercial development, partnership working, inward investment and community

regeneration.

Leamington Spa is a creative hub in the West Midlands and continues to build on its ‘Silicon Spa’ status with the Creative

Quarter redevelopment, currently focused around Spencer Yard. Significant development along the Europa Way corridor will

bring new homes and community space to the town, including a new stadium and athletics track. Hosting the bowls event as

part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will highlight Leamington Spa on an international stage, providing a

local and regional economic boost in employment, visitor footfall and spending.

Leamington Spa Station will be an important transport gateway, making now the prime time to identify opportunities for

improvement at the station and strengthen the role of the station in the community.

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Reviving our Railway

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused massive economic and social disruption. The

Department for Transport has replaced the rail franchising system with Emergency

Recovery Measures Agreements (ERMAs) which will address the continuing impact of

the pandemic on the railway, whilst delivering on a government commitment to replace

the current franchising system. The new system will create a simpler, more effective

structure and will take shape over the coming months.

We were proud to keep our railways running during the pandemic to serve key workers

and allow them to travel safely.

We are now in a phase of reviving our railways and the communities they serve.

There are big new challenges for our Stations as Places Programme:

•

Passenger numbers will take time to recover.

•

The way in which station buildings are used has changed.

•

City, town and local centres will have to reinvent themselves as retailers withdraw

and office buildings are less full.

•

Ways of funding new investment will need to be transform.

Coronavirus (Covid-19)

Stations as Places will be forward looking and opportunistic. ‘The moment is now’ for stations

to harness community spirit, pursue more entrepreneurial ways of using station buildings and

support the revitalisation of high streets and local centres.

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Contents

Chapter

Page

Why ‘Stations as Places’ for Leamington Spa Station?

1

Bringing our partners together

2

About Leamington Spa Station

3 - 8

The Headline Opportunities – The Station

9

The Headline Opportunities – The Surrounding Area

10 - 11

Opportunity Plan

12

Understanding the potential for growth

13

The Aspiration

14 - 15

Development Opportunities

16

Opportunities for Investment

17

Action Plan

18

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Why ‘Stations as Places’ for Leamington Spa Station?

Who are the West Midlands Station Alliance?

The WMSA is a formal alliancing arrangement between industry partners with a common

vision and forward plan, including infrastructure owner Network Rail, station facilities

owner Chiltern Railways, operator West Midlands Trains (WMT) and West Midlands Rail

Executive. The role of the WMSA is to facilitate Stations as Places by bringing together

various stakeholders to work together in partnership, ensuring that the Stations as Places

vision and local aspirations are shared between the stakeholders, the infrastructure owner,

the station facilities owner and the local government.

THE VISION

Why has Leamington Spa Station been selected?

Leamington Spa railway station, located on the Chiltern Main Line, is an important station for commuters into

Birmingham, London Marylebone and Oxford, as well as other destinations such as Coventry and Solihull. It

is also a key station on the CrossCountry network.

With the 2022 Commonwealth Games approaching, this is a prime time for Leamington Spa to invest in the

station and surrounding area, delivering improvements which would benefit regular users, the local

community and businesses in the town. This Prospectus provides an opportunity to engage with the

stakeholders of Leamington Spa station to capture the opportunities and commitment to delivering

improvements at the station, making the station a gateway worthy of such a historic and beautiful town.

The drivers for developing this location

Passenger numbers at Leamington Spa have increased by over 100% from 2003 to 2013, well above the UK

national average, and are expected to continue increasing. The town centre itself suffers from congestion

and poor air quality; it is therefore essential that passengers are encouraged to access the station using

more sustainable modes. In turn, increasing footfall around the station presents an opportunity for

businesses to benefit. With 4,500 new homes and community facilities expected to be delivered in the

Europa Way corridor alone, significant housing development on the edges of the town will only increase use

of the station. Combined with the 2022 Commonwealth Games placing Leamington Spa on an international

stage, exciting proposals to reinvigorate the station forecourt highlight the need to ensure the station

itself and surrounding area deliver an equally welcoming and attractive gateway to the town.

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Bringing our Partners together

Our stakeholders really matter to us.

Stakeholder feedback is key to creating a prospectus that resonates with different audiences and

ensures consensus on the future of the station and surrounding area. We want to ensure that what we collect and receive is representative

and inclusive. Our approach to capturing local insights in Leamington Spa covers the following four dimensions:

LOCAL PERSPECTIVE

Railways stations should reflect and cater for the local community to which it serves

To help shape the future of the station to meet the needs of the local community, involving them in the planning process is critical. Community involvement helps to make a station a more attractive and valuable community asset. Stations as Places aims to establish strong links between the station management and businesses, the community and other local stakeholders, ensuring that the voice of the community is heard.

LEGACY

An important objective of Stations as Places is to provide a long-term legacy by establishing integration and community involvement at the heart of the station. This will involve the community taking a level of ownership of the stations and passing this onto the future generations to keep each station a valuable part of the local community. Of course, Network Rail, West Midlands Trains and the Local Government will also have an important role in the legacy of the station and that is why partnership working between the community and these organisations is so important.

COMMUNITY

A railway station is often a great asset to a community, but a community can also be a great asset to a railway station

The enthusiasm and longevity of Friends of Leamington Spa Station demonstrates the value of the station as a community asset, however there is room to grow this community involvement. Most importantly, an integrated station shows that people care and that they have something to be proud of, improving social inclusion and mental wellbeing whilst making the station a more pleasant place to be.

SOCIAL VALUE

T

ransforming a railway station from a ‘passenger thoroughfare’ into a genuine community asset will have a positive impact on the local community

Residents and businesses are more likely to take ownership of their local station if it is a pleasant and safe place to be, meets their needs and represents local people and heritage. A railway station as a valued community hub can offer a real contribution to improving social inclusion and mental wellbeing; from promoting inclusivity through the Friends of’ Leamington Spa Station group or simply making waiting as a part of a morning commute more pleasant.

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ABOUT LEAMINGTON SPA STATION

Key Facts

The station is situated to the south of the town centre off Old Warwick Road, between the River Leam and the

Grand Union Canal. It sits to the north of light industrial land and out of town retail areas as well as the residential

zones of Warwick Gates, Whitnash and Sydenham. Passenger volumes place Leamington Spa as the fourth

busiest station on the Chiltern Railways network, after London Marylebone, Birmingham Moor Street and High

Wycombe.

Station Typology

Leamington Spa is a ‘Key Corridor Station’ located on the Chiltern Main Line and the Coventry to Leamington Line,

served by three operators – Chiltern Railways, West Midlands Railway and CrossCountry.

Leamington Spa station is also a ‘Local Gateway’, providing access to the town of Royal Leamington Spa, and

should therefore have a high-quality sense of arrival.

There is a strong orientation towards commuting and meeting rail users’ expectations by providing frequent and

reliable services on attractive rolling stock, especially during peak periods. The station environment provides

convenient and appropriate waiting facilities and complementary services.

Did you know?

Leamington Spa used to be a tiny village, known as

Leamington Priors, until saline springs were rediscovered in 1784.

Following this discovery, ‘The Royal Pump Room and Baths’ were opened in

1814 and so began the development of Leamington Priors as a

spa town.

In the late 1990s, the process of restoring the Pump Rooms began by relocating Leamington’s Art Gallery, Museum and

Library to the Pump Rooms. Later, a new Tourist Information Centre

and Café were added, creating a major cultural and tourist attraction. The

project is also a central element in a wider strategy

to use arts, heritage and leisure facilities to help

regenerate south Leamington’s ‘Old Town’

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ABOUT LEAMINGTON SPA STATION

- Station Lease Plan

Land within the blue line boundary is leased by Network Rail to Chiltern Railways. Chiltern Railways is required to meet lease holder

conditions on behalf of the landlord, Network Rail. This comprises of maintenance and enhancements to station areas, including the station buildings, platforms, car park and facilities.

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ABOUT LEAMINGTON SPA STATION - Service and Timetables

Leamington Spa Station is served by three operators – Chiltern Railways, West Midlands

Railway and CrossCountry.

The station is on the Chiltern Mainline between Birmingham Snow Hill and London

Marylebone and on the Leamington Spa to Coventry branch line.

Service details

•

At least two Chiltern Railways services operate between Birmingham Snow Hill or

Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone hourly (with 5 early morning

services starting at Kidderminster or Stourbridge Junction)

•

West Midlands Railway provide the local service between Nuneaton and

Leamington Spa, calling at Coventry and Kenilworth

•

Hourly CrossCountry service from Manchester Piccadilly to Bournemouth, calling

at Coventry and Leamington Spa

•

Hourly CrossCountry service from the North via Birmingham New Street to

Reading, calling at Leamington Spa

Timetables

•

https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/travel-information/timetables

•

https://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/before-you-travel/download-our-timetable

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- Station Layout and Facilities

Station Facilities

Lifts to all platforms

Waiting area on

each platform

Refreshment kiosks

on each platform

Accessible toilets

and baby changing

facilities

Bicycle storage

Ticket office

Automated ticket

machines

Taxi rank

Car park

Pay phone

Post box

ATM machine

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-

What do we know?

PASSENGERS

IN 2018/19

CRIMES RECORDED IN 2019/20

LOCAL ACTIVITIES

• Located within walking/cycling distance of the Old Town and cultural/heritage attractions such as Jephson Gardens, the Old Library and Art Gallery to the north, as well as Leamington Shopping Park to the south west

• New housing development (Myton Green) under construction, located opposite Leamington Shopping Park off the A452, connected to the station by National Cycle Route 41

PUBLIC TRANSPORT, WALKING AND

CYCLING ACCESS

• Double-decker cycle racks provided on platforms 1/2 and 3/4 with capacity for 198 bicycles

• National Cycle Route 41 passes through the station forecourt

• Bus stop immediately outside the station in the forecourt and stops located on Old Warwick Road serving Leamington Spa, Warwick, Coventry and Stratford-upon-Avon

STATION FACILITIES

• Ticket office located in main entrance available hall from 05:25-22:00 on weekdays, 05:40-22:00 on Saturdays and 08:15-21:35 on Sundays

• Ticket machines are located in the entrance hall

• Customer information screens and announcements are provided on all platforms

• The station is served by two food and drink outlets, one on each platform (1/2 & 3/4)

• Accessible toilets are provided on each platform, including baby changing facilities

CAR PARKING AND ACCESSIBILITY

• 622 chargeable parking spaces are available to the west of the station on Old Warwick Road. 84 paid chargeable spaces are located in the station forecourt. 8 additional free accessible spaces are provided.

• The main pedestrian entrance to the station from Old Warwick Road is provided in the form of a Equality Act compliant ramp

• Lifts are provided to all platforms

2,773,782

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CRIME & SAFETY

• Of the crimes recorded by

British Transport Police, 35% were pedal crimes and 30% were verbal abuse of staff.

• The area around the station is considered to be relatively safe, improvements to cycle parking are likely to improve this.

STATION FOOTFALL

• Footfall rose by 4.1% from 2017/18, this is expected to continue rising • 245,367 interchanges were made

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The Headline Opportunities

THE STATION

Physical Improvements

The station building itself is an important heritage asset for the town, however the internal station environment is in need of redecoration and upgrade to enhance passenger experience. There is vast scope to ensure the internal environment matches the art-deco exterior and the current blank white spaces on the walls of the station would provide an excellent canvas to create a sense of place which integrates with wayfinding in the town and draws out the history of Leamington Spa. This could also integrate with Commonwealth Games themes and wayfinding and become a changing, community space. The forecourt is currently dominated by car parking with little consideration of the public realm, the proposed forecourt improvement works (further information provided on page 13) will improve accessibility and provide increased facilities for cyclists and pedestrians as well as electric vehicle infrastructure. It will be important for this prospectus to continue collaboration with the forecourt improvement scheme.

Unattractive and uninviting pedestrian & cycle route through the subway could be improved

to promote connectivity to the Old Town

Internal station environment is in need of cleaning and redecoration to enhance the

user experience and station heritage

Accessibility and maintenance of access routes is currently poor, improvements would

Integration

For the benefit of the community and its station, it is fundamental to enhance travel choice and connectivity to local development and centers. Funding can be levied from developers in order to enhance existing walking and cycling infrastructure, whilst travel planning engagement and information resources can increase awareness of sustainable modes to rail users and local residents. In particular, proposed improvements to the station forecourt and Commonwealth Games preparation should consider

improvements to wayfinding and interchange, providing better information and increased opportunities for

Operational improvements

The station currently provides good facilities and statistics indicate that passengers are satisfied with the service provided. Over 50% of users currently travel to the station on foot and the majority of passengers travel for ten minutes or less to reach the station. However, demand for car parking and congestion around the station remains high. There is insufficient capacity to accommodate car parking demand and no scope to increase the size of the car parking area, particularly as the proposed forecourt improvement will further reduce car parking capacity. Improving the cycle facilities available and interchange with bus services could encourage less car use, alternative parking pricing strategies could be considered to encourage regular users/season ticket holders to rethink the last mile of their journey.

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The Headline Opportunities

THE SURROUNDING AREA

‘Last Mile’: Wider connectivity improvements

Despite being a significant local gateway, pedestrian routes to the station from Old Town are unclear and discontinuous.

Old Warwick Road and Bath Street are often congested with fast moving vehicles, unconducive to cycling and may deter some pedestrians. Improved cycling and pedestrian connectivity was provided to Lower Avenue via the station subway as well as

improved crossing facilities on Spencer Street, however the route is poorly signposted and narrow. Cutting back greenery would help to improve useable space. Were this route promoted, it would be a significantly shorter and quieter route to the Old Town than via busy Bath Street and provide better access to bus services on Parade. Further improvements to local public realm and walking and cycling connectivity could realise mode shift to more sustainable travel modes, reducing locally generated traffic and improving the environment for local residents, bringing it in line with the historic surroundings in the town. Increased travel planning

engagement with new and existing residents can help to realise positive mode shift from car travel.

Connectivity via National Cycle Route 41 from Europa Way housing developments and proposed sports/community

facilities at Gallows Hill

Commonwealth Games Bowls event to be held in Victoria Park

Housing development to east of the town centre, along Radford Rd and Southam Rd Trains to Warwick Trains to Coventry Trains to London Spencer Yard Creative Quarter

National Cycle Route 41 connects Myton, located west of the town, to the station via the canal and Old Warwick Road. Significant housing development is underway at Myton and along Europa Way, cycling should therefore be promoted as the preferred transport mode for accessing the station from these new

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The Headline Opportunities

THE SURROUNDING AREA

Investment in surrounding land use activities

The Commonwealth Games will provide a fantastic opportunity to link the station, as the key gateway to the town, with the

surrounding area by providing cohesive wayfinding and

enhancing the sense of place, as well as encouraging sustainable travel to the Bowls event.

The station is located between the New and Old Town, connected by Old Warwick Road with residential areas to the south.

Significant retail and food and drink outlets are located to the north and east, providing opportunity for local behavioural initiatives to make station ‘feel’ alive and vibrant.

The internationally significant games development industry based in the Creative Quarter at Spencer Yard is, at present, hidden away with little to indicate the location so close to the station. Forging links between the station, the Creative Quarter and the food and drink outlets nearby could be mutually

beneficial and the outdoor space at Spencer Yard would provide a fantastic venue for events, such as active travel or Friends of Leamington Spa Station community events.

The Old Town benefits from the beautiful Jephson Gardens and Royal Pump Room gardens as well as it’s historic spa town status and conservation area, this history is not visible at the station however. Providing clearer links to the historic town, through use of historic photos, improved wayfinding and public realm at the station would help to link the visitor economy in the town with the station itself.

Spencer Yard

Potential Station Neighbours:

Piccolinos restaurant, The Old Library Public House, Spencer Yard Creative Quarter, Blue Basil vintage shop and café,

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OPPORTUNITY PLAN

Renew tactile paving

where worn along

platform edges

Improve

current blank

white spaces

on internal

station walls,

providing

historical and

community

features as

well as a ‘last

mile’

information

point

Improve

lighting

and

damp in

subway

as well

as

signage

to New

Town

Install new Cycle Hub

Cut back

vegetation

and improve

connection

to New

Town via

Lower Ave.

Improve public realm in station forecourt, including

enhanced permeability to nearby bus stops and

provision of EV charging facilities

Promote

existing cycle

connectivity

along Old

Warwick

Road,

particularly at

new housing

developments

to the south

west

Establish relationship with station neighbours,

including the Creative Quarter based at Spencer Yard

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Understanding the

POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH

New Developments in Leamington Spa

Significant housing development is plannedor currently under construction at Myton Green (735 homes), Warwick Gates (750 homes), Gallows Hill (630 homes) and Crown Hill Gardens (150 homes). A traveller site is also in the planning stage to the south of the town, off Harbury Lane.

A masterplan has been created for a new Community Stadium for a range of community sports and leisure activities including football on land at Gallows Hill, to the south of Royal Leamington Spa. Along with its community role, the 5,000-seat stadium will also be the home ground for Leamington Football Club and include a full size 3G artificial grass pitch and athletics track. The site will boast community services and provide exciting

commercial opportunities.

The town is growing significantly. It will therefore be important to prioritise providing sustainable travel to and from the station. The bowls event of the 2022 Commonwealth Games will be held in Leamington Spa, it will be important to build on the momentum of the Commonwealth Games to establish Leamington Spa station as a gateway and maximise rail patronage by visitors to the town, improving visitor experience and encouraging growth of tourism.

The station itself is continuing to see a growth in passenger numbers, rising by 4.1% between 2017/18 and 2018/19. The subsequent increase in footfall around the station further makes the case for improving the station environment and facilities, including completion of the forecourt improvement works and

Proposed Station Forecourt Improvements

Significant issues have been identified with the station forecourt and existing public realm, including the damp, uninviting

pedestrian subway and the current dominance of car parking.

Warwickshire County Council is currently exploring detailed designs for improvements to the forecourt which would include: A new secure cycle hub, electric vehicle charging points, improved car park layout and enhanced public realm.

The new forecourt will incorporate the heritage of the station with an art-deco theme and will provide increased permeability for pedestrians and cyclists as well as improving the sense of arrival to visitors. A graphic representation of the proposed scheme is presented below.

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“Working alongside WMR gives Leamington Spa

the exciting opportunity for improvements to the Station building and

facilities which will benefit our local communities and businesses. Together,

we can gain a greater understanding

of our customers and the local area enabling us to provide

a well-rounded experience”

Charlotte Lowndes,

Interim Area Manager for Warwickshire, Chiltern Railways

“We welcome the development of Leamington Spa station into a transport

hub, delivering an enhanced experience for rail users and establishing the

station as part of the community. Leamington Spa is well connected by rail

with services to London, the South Coast and the North. And with frequent

services to and from Birmingham, the town is well placed to play a big part

in the 2022 Commonwealth Games”

John Robson, CrossCountry Regional Director West Midlands and North

West

"The prospect of turning Leamington Spa station

into a real transport hub with improved wayfinding,

and improvements to the ambience of the station,

will be of permanent benefit to travellers

“

Archie Pitts, Chairman,

Friends of Leamington Spa Station

THE ASPIRATION

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“The development of a much improved transport hub at Leamington Spa

Station will offer an attractive and efficient point of entry which is in keeping

with our vibrant and beautiful town, and will put us on the map as we

welcome visitors from around the world for major events such as the

Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.”

Councillor Moira-Ann Granger, Portfolio Holder for Culture, Warwick District Council

“The government has now put active and public transport modes

at the centre of urban transport policy. We have a fine station in

Leamington which, with continued uplift, will play an ever more

important part in the way we travel to and around our town.”

the place we want it to be

THE ASPIRATION

“Leamington Spa station – like the town it serves – blends history with

modernity. Despite being a Grade II listed building it has sympathetically

incorporated the facilities expected by the twenty-first century traveller. This

prospectus can help ensure that this continues, and that the evolving needs

of the customer and the community are clearly understood.”

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• High quality and sustainable ‘last mile’ connections supported by new/ improved infrastructure

• Better integration for walking and cycling within the town centre and to key assets/destinations and surrounding residential areas

• Complete renovation of the internal station environment to match the art-deco style of the forecourt improvement works, enhancing sense of place and creating a fantastic gateway to the town

• Build on the momentum of the Commonwealth Games to establish Leamington Spa station as a gateway and maximise rail patronage by visitors to the town, improving visitor experience

• Major damp proof coursing works to the track bed

Large Scale Options

Medium Scale Options

Small Scale Options and Quick Wins

• General refresh and clean of the station facilities, including cleaning of the internal station subway and stairs to platforms, removal of graffiti in the subway

• Fill currently blank white spaces on the internal subway walls with information and photos about the history of the local area and station or community engagement

• Refresh car parking in the forecourt, including repainting of lines and provision of marked drop off area and cutting back overgrown vegetation • Repainting and restoration of running in boards

• Renewal of tactile paving on platform edge where required

• Continued support of the Friends of Leamington station group (e.g. through disposal of non-compostable waste) • Restoration of the railings on Old Warwick Road

• Investigate provision of community rail discount card at local businesses and pursue local links with station neighbours • Installation of improved wayfinding to key assets/destinations. This may link with improvements provided as part of the

Commonwealth Games

• Complete the station forecourt improvement scheme to provide high quality public realm, including upgrade of the subway • New pedestrian link from the car park on Old Warwick Road to the station

• Investigate potential to provide bike hire docks at the station to facilitate sustainable tourism, linking to the Commonwealth Games

• Improve cycle connectivity onto the canal from Tachbrook Road • Investigate potential for links with Creative Quarter at Spencer Yard

• Create a ‘community hub’ focused on the Community Garden by linking with local schools and students who could become more involved with the Friends of Leamington group, instilling a culture of stewardship

• Investigate links with Coventry City of Culture and promote rail connectivity to/from Coventry

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVESTMENT

The Stations as Places Prospectus should act as a means of providing an evidence base which can attract funding

opportunities and implement quick-win initiatives and measures. To achieve this, continuous stakeholder involvement and

collaboration is crucial to develop relationships within the communities that Leamington Spa station serves.

Options for Delivery

Section 106 Funding

can be secured

when a third-party development relates to the

station (in planning terms). An example is the

Myton Green development which has

allocated funding to provide a cycle path

through the development which connect to the

existing National Cycle Route 41.

Third Party Funding

Easy Wins

Commonwealth Games 2022:

Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise

Partnership (CWLEP) are providing almost

£1.8million to be spent on improvements in

Leamington Spa town centre and the railway

station, including improving signposting to the

bowls venue in Victoria Park from the railway

station.

Cycle Rail:

DfT awarded Leamington Spa

station £140,000 for improvements to the cycling

infrastructure at the station. This was match

funded by Warwickshire County Council, providing

£280,000 in total to fund the new cycle hub which

will be integrated into the forecourt redevelopment

scheme, enabling commuters to cycle directly to

the station and lock-up their bike securely.

• Warwickshire County Council and

Warwick District Council

• Chiltern Railways

• West Midlands Trains

• Network Rail

• Coventry and Warwickshire LEP

External Funding

Potential for Railway

Heritage Trust funding to

restore the historic

station forecourt railings

on Old Warwick Road.

Community and

Volunteering

resources:

Investment of time from

community and enterprise

groups such as the Friends

of Leamington Spa and the

charity sector.

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Action Plan

Making the station a better place and achieving mode shift

The action plan and targets provide a focus for the Stations as Places prospectus, as a way of measuring whether future schemes have a

positive impact on sustainable travel.

The targets below enable us to review the success of this opportunity prospectus and if the measures taken have resulted in improved

sustainable access to the station, continued and enhanced community involvement and a complement to other capital improvements, not

least the station forecourt improvement scheme.

Action Responsibility Timescale

Continued support for the activities of the well established Friends of Leamington Spa station

• Warwickshire County Council Short Deliver ‘quick win’ improvements at

the station – platform tactile paving refresh, running in board repaint etc

• West Midlands Station Alliance

Short to Medium

To increase passenger use through local housing, employment and retail growth (post Covid-19 recovery)

• Warwickshire County Council

Medium

Maximise the opportunities for rail travel to the Commonwealth Games

• West Midlands Rail Executive

• Warwickshire County Council • Warwick District Council • Chiltern Railways

Medium

Work collaboratively with

Warwickshire CC, Warwick DC and Network Rail to progress the station forecourt improvement scheme

• Warwickshire County Council • Warwick District Council • Chiltern Railways

Medium

Targets

Year 1*:

Deliver ‘quick win’ station

improvements

Years 2 - 3:

Increase passenger

numbers by capturing a rail market from

housing, employment and retail growth

(post Covid-19 recovery)

Years 2 & 3:

Deliver Station Forecourt

Improvement Scheme

Year 3:

Establish Leamington Spa

station as a Gateway for the

Commonwealth Games and maximise

rail patronage by Games’ visitors

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WHO TO CONTACT and

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

This prospectus presents information on the challenges and opportunities at Leamington Spa Station as expressed by different members of the

local community. This evidence has been used to inform a set of objectives and a list of actions defined during the course of the study which will

help to prioritise future investment at the station and within the local area.

We hope you enjoyed the journey.

The Stations as Places initiative is designed be open to all. We really want to

engage with organisations of different shapes and sizes. We’d love to hear from

developers and their consultant teams about how we can work more closely with

you to connect with your development schemes, especially if you are needing

people to take the train to ease pressure of the road network and make your

development proposals work effectively. But we’d also love to hear from

shopkeepers and other local businesses, from social enterprises and residents’

groups, and from organisations supporting disabled people and others needing

accessibility support. So how to get involved?

You can email

[email protected]

and one of the team

will get back to you!

Railways bring people together and there is a powerful historic sense of pride in the railways in the UK. Stations

began life as beacons of hope and revival for local communities and when stations are places of welcome, happier

and more passengers ensue.

Contact us if you would like to:

• Give us feedback about this Prospectus

• Flag up an opportunity with your proposed development

• Talk to us about how your organisation can get involved

You can also follow progress on Stations as

Places at

www.wmre.org.uk/stationsalliance