Pokesdown Station upgrades scaled back after Council pulls multi-million-pound investment
BCP Council has officially voted to scrap its £2.6 million funding pledge for accessibility upgrades at Pokesdown Station
BCP Council has withdrawn £2.6million of funding from a project to improve accessibility at Pokesdown station.
The funding was initially approved on January 11th 2022 and was expected to deliver upgrades to the station building including painting canopied and the footbridge, a new forecourt with interchange facilities, CCTV and help point improvements, seating and shelter improvements, and conversion of existing lift shafts to allow passenger to use them.
However, the project has now been reduced to deliver lifts and painting canopies only.
As reported previously, if the contribution was maintained the council would need to borrow £2.6 million over a 50‑year term which would cost BCP taxpayers over £195,000 a year in repayments – a total of £9.75 million.
The proposal to remove the funding from the project was debated at a full council meeting on February 24.
Councillor Andy Hadley said: “I bring this recommendation to council with a heavy heart, good accessibility for public transport is really important and it is regrettable the railway has not invested over the last 50 year to improve this.”
Councillor Patrick Canavan proposed an amendment to the recommendation which asked council to pause their decision to cut the funding for the Pokesdown Accessibility Project. The amendment was rejected in a vote 19-38 with five abstentions.
Councillor George Farquhar said: “This has no impact on the 2026/27 budget but it does have an impact on every disadvantaged resident and visitors in our conurbation.”
Councillor Eleanor Connolly said: “You have had four years to say you wanted to change direction, three of which you were in control. I find it completely unforgivable to announce at this stage.”
Councillor Simon Bull said: “For me this is not asking us to agree but it is asking us to relook at it and I think we owe to the people who need to access that station to look at this again.”
Councillor David Brown said: “I keep hearing we are going back on a promise, but this is not what was voted on in 2022.”
Cllr Brown noted that all that was left of the original scheme was the lifts and the painting of the canopies over the platform.
Members voted 38-13 with 10 abstentions in favour of withdrawing the £2.6million funding.