Ideas for station’s facelift submitted
Creating new public space is crucial to plan
Plans to redevelop the area in front of Stirling Station have taken a major step forward.
ScotRail Alliance and Stirling Council have submitted a business case to Transport Scotland outlining their plans for the station revamp .
The main aim is to create a new public space in front of the station by “significantly” reducing traffic access.
At the moment, the area features a taxi rank, drop-off point and access to car parks.
It has been proposed to relocate the taxi rank and drop-off point, and introduce a new access to the south car park off Burghmuir Road although Stirling Council say the move is still subject to consultation and no design proposals have been drawn up.
It is hoped the changes will improve links between the station, city centre and bus station, and build on the £750,000 of work carried out by the council last year as part of the council’s Gateway Project.
It involved the introduction of one-way traffic on Murray Place and Station Road, the widening of pavements, the removal of street furniture, better crossing points and the relocation of bus stops and taxi ranks.
Planned improvement to station facilities include enhanced cycle parking coordinated with Stirling Cycle Hub, more retail options and a new sleeper service guest lounge.
Costs of the redevelopment, if rubber-stamped, will be met by ScotRail Alliance, Stirling Council and the Scottish Stations Fund.
Providing approval is granted, the work should get underway next year.
Peter O’Connell of ScotRail Alliance said: “We have submitted a detailed plan for Stirling Station’s redevelopment work which I believe is in keeping with the plans that Stirling Council has for the ongoing development of the city centre, particularly in ‘fixing the link’ between the station, city centre and bus station.
“With new electric train services coming to Stirling, we want customers boarding and alighting trains to do so from an up-to-date station.”
Speaking at Wednesday’s meeting of Riverside Community Council on Wednesday, RCC planning spokesperson Isabella Gorska said she recently attended a presentation on the station proposals as a representative of the area’s access panel.
That meeting was told that just over half the people who journey to Stirling station by car and who park there, have travelled two kilometres or fewer.
Ms Gorska said: “They want to tackle that and get more people to take up cycling but it is not always applicable for people to stop using their car.
“There are a certain number of people who have to use their car.”
Ms Gorska said it was no longer acceptable that disabled people should continue to have difficulties reaching the station’s platform nine, adding: “They must look at the alternative of reopening the back gate of the station and have a ticket booth and CCTV installed there.
“More and more trains from Edinburgh and Glasgow are being diverted on to platform nine and people with mobility issues cannot manage the stairs to get from the platform.”
Stirling East councillor Corrie McChord, who also attended the Riverside meeting, said that with development such as the new offices for Stirling Council and other public sector bodies planned for Forthside, it made sense to have an alternative access to the station.
However, the Observer understands there are no plans to provide direct access into the station from the Forthside. Access from this area will continue to be over the Forthside footbridge and main station entrance.