MORE than a year after it was confirmed lifts would be installed, no work has progressed on the project at Pokesdown railway station.

Now, fears about the financial stability of BCP Council has prompted one ward councillor to ask for reassurance the money is ringfenced for the much-needed changes.

BCP Council has pledged £2.6 million funding to install lifts at Pokesdown train station.

The money was allocated from BCP’s Future Fund to improve Pokesdown Railway Station through a jointly agreed financial arrangement with South Western Railway (SWR) and Network Rail (NR).

Both SWR and NR committed to sourcing £3.1m towards the overall project cost of £5.7m, with the Council then covering the shortfall up to a maximum of £2.6m.

READ MORE: Council funding for Pokesdown Station lifts has been approved

However, questions about the council's unstable finances following a failed beach hut sell-off and huge rise in inflation and cost of living expenses, prompted ward councillor George Farquhar to ask whether the funding for the project would still go ahead.

Speaking to the Daily Echo, he said: “Since the administration change there has been a degree of silence with regards to the number of updates on the situation.

“Why I spoke at the meeting was to get confirmation that the £2.6 million which was promised by the Conservative administration from the Future’s Fund is still on the desk of the Department for Transport waiting approval to be spent.

“My question at full council was of the chief financial officer to confirm that the money was secure and it wouldn't be clawed back or reassigned somewhere else, breaking the commitment by BCP Council to the campaigners of the Pokesdown Station Action Group and all the residents with accessibility needs in the area that badly need accessibility lifts.”

The Council has since confirmed that the money is still reserved for the project.

A BCP Council spokesperson said: “To confirm there has been no change in position on funding. We are committed to the project. We understand our partners are busy progressing with detailed design at present.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson also confirmed that the project has been approved.

They said: “I can confirm that the project has been approved by DfT.

“SWR has a Business Plan Commitment to install passenger lifts at Pokesdown for Boscombe station and submitted their report to the Department for Transport (DfT) earlier this year.

“This has been approved and funding secured with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP).

“The total funding available is £5.7m, including a committed £2.6m from BCP and if any surplus remains upon completion, this will be reinvested at the station in other ways, once agreed with the DfT.”

The funding will be spent on the replacement of the old goods only lifts with accessible passenger lifts that would then benefit all rail users; refurbishment works on the bridge across the railway line to connect both lifts and other much needed modernisation of the Station facilities.