RESIDENTS of Pokesdown and Boscombe received promising news about the installation of new lifts at Pokesdown Station.

Following a disappointing meeting at the beginning of the month, where residents were told that work at Pokesdown station will not be completed until September 2020, Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood led a passionate meeting held at the Salvation Army Barracks in Pokesdown, attended by approximately 60 frustrated locals and concerned councillors.

The former defence minister said that, thanks to successful lobbying through three transport ministers, Pokesdown Station had been successfully promoted in its importance to gain disabled access.

Tobias Ellwood said: “Its knowing that the community is all behind this initiative that allows us to have greater leverage when we are dealing with the three main stakeholders: South West Trains, Network Rail and, of course, the Department for Transport.”

“There are about 2,000 non-step free stations across England and Wales and there is a peaking order of change that they want to bring about to improve them. We got Pokesdown for Boscombe bumped up the list, to the annoyance to a couple of thousand other stations that are in line as well.”

Tobias Ellwood said that they were able to make a strong case thanks to the need for “regeneration of the Boscombe area” and need to facilitate fans attending matches at AFC Bournemouth.

The Bournemouth MP said that, although it is not made clear, resident who require disabled supports are eligible for a free taxi to Bournemouth Station from Pokesdown station, and visa versa. Residents will also be kept informed about the progress of work at the station with regular updates and a survey is due to take place “in the next couple of months”.

“They have now agreed to monthly updates as to what their progress actually is, what is being reported to the BCP council as well as Members of Parliament as well so that the actual community is kept involved,” he said.

Andy Jones, the Conservative representative for Boscombe East and Pokesdown, has been an active campaigner for the lifts for almost eight years.

He said: “I must admit that I am encouraged by what Tobias said about the monthly updates to you, to councillors, to the scrutiny panel in terms of what is going on, what are they doing because that has obviously been, to my mind, the most frustrating thing.

I’ve had people coming to me numerous times over the months saying ‘Andy, what is happening with Pokesdown station? Where are we? And that has been frustrating for me. So, if that does happen, if they do stick to that, I will be more than happy. That is a huge step forward for me.

Members of the assembly mentioned the need to hold another meeting with SWR present, the need to assess every option including possibly installing ramp access to both platforms and the lack of taxis that can cater for people with mobility issues.

George Farquhar, Labour councillor for Boscombe East and Pokesdown and vice chairman to the BCP council, said: “This is my first term around the sun as a councillor, just newly elected, and when people say to me that they don’t use their local station because we don’t have accessibility, that is what needs to be addressed.

Tobias Ellwood is due to meet with representatives from SWR about hosting another meeting to be held in September or October so that questions can be put forward to them from members of the public.

He said: “We ourselves must work together, we also must work and agree what that strategy is. We must absolutely air that frustration and that concern that the timetable has actually slipped. But we must also understand why and how we can now hold them to account.

“We need to have the next meeting of this and get them here as well, that might be a way forward too. I can arrange that if we want to. We also have to understand that bigger picture and, in the interim, we need to have a plan which makes sure that people like yourselves are looked after until those lifts are absolutely fixed.”