Plans for extra park and ride spaces at Porth railway station

PLANS for extra park and ride spaces to add to those at Porth railway station have been submitted to the council.

Land on Rheola Road could see the construction of a car park to supplement existing park and ride facilities at the railway station.

The council has submitted the application for the 0.33 hectare site and the railway station is located 260 metres to the south east of it.

The planning statement submitted on behalf of RCT by Redstart says that the council currently owns 50% of the land within the site boundary with the remaining land owned by a mixture of private and public companies and is in the process of being bought.

The proposed park and ride facilities at this location are the third phase in the
extension of car parking provision at Porth Station.

The first phase was adjacent to the station itself and the second phase was a small car park located opposite the junction to the south west of Rheola Road.

The site is currently often used as informal overflow car parking for the
station

The planning statement says the objectives of the scheme are to maximise parking opportunity for Porth Railway Station, increase the amenity value of the site for the local community, enhance the biodiversity of the site, improve active travel facilities and increase the perception of safety at the site.

The car park would open for general public use and accessible 24 hours a day
although it is not expected that the car park would be used during the night
once trains have stopped running.

Two options were considered for the design of the site but the preferred option was for 60 car parking spaces that would require the realignment
of the Rheola Industrial Estate Access road and a small retaining wall in the central part of the site.

Although the scheme goes against planning policy on building in flood zones, the planning statement says previous phases of the park and ride scheme have been located within a flood risk zone and have been deemed acceptable on planning grounds with a suitable flood management plan in place.

The statement says: “The site passes the justification test as the
addition of new park and ride facilities within Porth and close to Porth station will improve/promote local access to services and shops, supporting and reinforcing the centre of Porth as a key settlement area.

“The flood risk management plan puts in place procedures to ensure users safety during a flood event. As a result of these flood management and mitigation measures the proposed development at this site should not be restricted as a result of flood risk.”

It adds that the application supports local planning policy in terms of its purpose to support sustainable modes of transport, ensures the environment and public health is protected and implements good design standards.

The statement also says that the scheme also promotes sustainable urban drainage systems in its bid to tackle water at source and to be more resilient to climate change.