'Getting back on track': Station at Beam Park is not lost cause, insist officials
Following discussion with the minister for transport, Wendy Morton, the future of Beam Park station looks more 'positive' - Credit: Newgate Communciations
The Beam Park station project is not a completely lost cause.
That is the message from Havering Council leader Damian White after he received a letter from the minister for transport, Wendy Morton.
She wrote that the Greater London Authority (GLA) must “show it can generate revenue over a continuous three-year period", and fund the “associated operating losses with an indemnity to be agreed”.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for City Hall said it is working on “new modelling and data” to share with the Department for Transport (DfT).
Cllr White said: “I am really pleased to see that the minister has confirmed in her response to me that they are not ruling a station out, and are waiting for the GLA’s plans on how it can be viable."
This comes amid uncertainty about if a promised station at the £1billion, 3,000-home development will be able to be built because it lacks government support.
The DfT has previously said it will not back the project unless City Hall agrees to fund any associated financial losses in perpetuity.
This came as a shock to homeowners who were promised a station when they bought properties at the site before it come to light that the project had not been signed off and faces becoming a "dead area" for transport links.
A spokesperson for the mayor of London said the correspondence "is encouraging".
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“City Hall is undertaking further technical work to respond to DfT’s concerns about Beam Park station and remains committed to finding a solution that meets all parties' requirements.”
Cllr White said: “We have said all along, our plans have always been for a new station at Beam Park.
“Putting in this station will not only benefit residents, but also improve the local economy and support businesses.
“And because of this, we have been actively lobbying the DfT to help clarify their position on the station, and to look at how we can move this forward.”
Earlier this month, Dagenham and Rainham MP Jon Cruddas had a "positive" meeting with Ms Morton.
He said: “What we all need is a successful resolution of the financial issues and to get the station back on track.
“I am determined to get this station built and will do everything I can to get the different parties to iron out any disagreements.”
