'Uninspiring but functional' new railway station could be built by the end of 2027

GREATER CAMBRIDGE PARTNERSHIP RECOMMENDS GIVING GREEN LIGHT FOR CONTRACTS WITH BUILDERS

- By HANNAH BROWN Local democracy reporter

THE new Waterbeach railway station could be built by the end of 2027, after the project took another step forward last week.

The Greater Cambridge Partnership's (GCP) joint assembly agreed to recommend that the executive board should approve the full business case and enter into contracts with builders for the station.

The new station will replace the existing Waterbeach Station, in Station Road.

Concerns were raised again that public money is being used to subsidise a project a private developer had originally planned to build.

South Cambridgeshire District Council gave planning permission for the new railway station in 2020. Building the new station was made a requirement of separate plans to build 4,500 homes as part of Waterbeach New Town.

The project to build the station was originally expected to be led by the housing developer. In June 2022, the GCP was asked to take on the project as the developer was not able to make a commercial deal to deliver the scheme.

The GCP agreed to take on the project, and the cost risk, in order to make sure the housing development at Waterbeach could go ahead. A budget of £43.35 million has been agreed for the station.

The GCP will provide £20m and Homes England will provide a grant for the rest. The developer will be required to repay this grant to Homes England.

Councillor Heather Williams said when councillors approved plans for the station, they were “given assurances that funding was in place” and that “no public funds were going to be needed”.

However, she said this had been “shattered within moments” when the GCP was asked to fund the project.