The Government has informed Edward that it is cutting Sileby Station from the Access for All Programme, a programme which funds and delivers access improvements to stations to make them more accessible for older people, disabled people, those with young children etc.
In a letter from the Rail Minister he stated that the much needed improvements to make Sileby Station accessible, will now not be going ahead due to funding constraints. Over the past year work was being undertaken to assess the practical feasibility of works being undertaken at 50 stations announced in 2024, including Sileby which is accessed by way of steep steps. The Government stated that the primary reason for Sileby Station being cut from the programme was that no match-funding was in place for Sileby, despite this seemingly not being a criteria set out when the original bids were made and accepted. As a result Edward has today called on the Rail Minister to meet him urgently, to discuss the impact this Government decision will have on local people in Sileby.
Edward said: "It is deeply disappointing news that the Government has chosen to scrap plans to make Sileby Station more accessible for disabled people, older people, and people with young children, among many others. This upgrade is desperately needed in Sileby, and for the Government to cut it citing no match-funding being in place, despite this, as far as I am aware, never having been a criteria or requirement that was applied to Access for All applications when this was included in 2024, will be a bitter pill for people to swallow. The Minister, in his letter, offered to meet me to discuss this and I have asked him to hold that meeting with me urgently so that I can continue to press Sileby's need for these accessibility upgrades on the Government."
