Cutting £10 million off cost of Northampton’s new railway station ‘will not harm building’
THE MAN leading plans to build a new railway station in Northampton has insisted that even though efforts are being made to reduce the cost of the building, the quality of the project will not be cut.
Last week, the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC) revealed moves were being made to reduce the projected cost of the planned new station from £52 million to about £42 million.
But during a meeting of the WNDC’s board yesterday, the group’s chief executive, Peter Mawson, insisted the cost reduction would not result in the development of a lesser building.
He said: “We’ve had advice about potential savings on the station project, but this is not about reducing the scale, quality, design or significance of the building.
“The figures are about recognising the reality of the economic market as it stands.”
He was backed by the WNDC’s chairman, John Markham, who added: “I wouldn’t want anybody to think that by reducing the costs we’re going to cheapen the project, because that’s not the case at all.”
The projected cost of £52 million for the railway station was put together by Network Rail.
The WNDC has since labelled that figure ‘excessive’ and officials from the organisation have claimed it may be hindering the chances of securing funding to deliver the scheme.
After reviewing the figures, it is now expected that the station will cost £22 million, while a new multi-storey car park at the site will cost a further £19.5 million.
Plans to build a new railway station in the town were first revealed by the WNDC in 2004, but so far the group has struggled to find funding for the project.
To date, the organisation has spent more than £1 million putting together plans for the new station.
Officials from the WNDC have said the proposed new building was “at the forefront of railway station design”
Latest plans for the station, which were published in February last year, showed the building would feature a number of shops and cafes.
Email to a friend
Print this page- BREAKING NEWS: Tributes paid to Niamh Curry as brave five-year-old loses battle against cancer
- BREAKING NEWS: Pensioner dies after collision at Northampton shopping centre
- Man tied to tree and beaten on Northampton Racecourse
- BREAKING NEWS: Woman’s body found after ‘suicide’ in Northampton hotel room
- BREAKING NEWS: Seven-year-old boy dies following house fire in Northamptonshire
- Northampton binmen at ‘breaking point’
- Staff strike at Northampton school over academy plans forces closure
- Saints’ stadium plans get support as long as traffic issues solved
- Eastern European pupils helping school standards across Northampton
- Exclusive: PM David Cameron says Northamptonshire Police Commissioner role is “a big job for a big local figure”
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northampton
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 12 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
PATTCOBB2
Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 08:55 PMnow that TheCount has started a bidding war I'm gonna pitch in at £29 million. mind you I have no building,architectural,design or public service skills at all. Oh hang on...
.~* JEZ *~.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 02:39 PMWNDC - I thought this mob had disappeared after the New Labour party was kicked into touch? 42 million quid eh? What a waste of money, especially when the local authority can't even afford to clean the streets. Pathetic. Don't get me wrong, a new train station is well overdue, but so are the basic necessities of the Town, like for instance cleaning the streets!
Chrispy1
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 01:51 PMTalk, talk. Blah, blah.
mccoop
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 01:36 PMThe old Castle stones will be used in the Building,saving well over £10 million.And London transport Museum will give them some trains.
TheCount
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 12:24 PMjimorourke - dream on.
jimorourke
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 11:38 AMI hope this helps Northamptonshire builders as the building trade always suffers during a recession. Lets hope the £53 million is spent employing Northamptonshire builders.to build the new station and offices and car park.
NN3man
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 10:28 AM...and can we have a new footbridge like the new one at Wellingborough????? Double as wide so we don't all get crushed when coming back at peak times. A station with 2.4m users per year should be much better than the 1960s mess we have now which was constructed when Northampton's population was half what it is now!
NN3man
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 10:26 AMJust build it!!!!
TheCount
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 09:58 AMMaybe they can save £20million...50 million sounds like a lot for a bit of concrete, some glass and some plasterboard. I'd build it for £30million.
Pending Moderation
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 08:54 AMYeah yeah yeah. Heard it all before. "Got to shave X million off the cost, but the quality won't change." But it always does. Like TheCount has said, there is the smell of rat. Who would have received the surplus 10 million that doesn't need to be spent any more? Who added up the costs? Incompetence or corruption?
Pruned
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 08:41 AMCould have been part of a "bung" to councilors, MPs etc Count.
TheCount
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 08:31 AMIn that case...Why were these people spending £10million more than they needed to in these times of austerity....I smell a rat.
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.