Pokesdown station lift plans submitted by Network Rail

A campaign to have lifts installed at the station began in 2011 but has faced numerous delays.

Network Rail is responsible for maintaining and operating railway infrastructure of England, Scotland, and Wales.

In 2022, BCP Council pledged to contribute £2.6million to a project to improve accessibility at Pokesdown Station.

The initial project was expected to deliver upgrades to the station building including painting canopied and the footbridge, a new forecourt with interchange facilities, CCTV and help point improvements, seating and shelter improvements, and conversion of existing lift shafts to allow passenger to use them. But has since been reduced to only installing new lifts.

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On February 24, BCP Council voted to withdraw its £2.6million contribution towards the station improvements.

After the council withdrew the funding MP for Bournemouth East Tom Hayes secured the funding from government so that the works could still go ahead.

The proposal submitted to BCP Council is to get planning permission to allow for the conversion of goods lifts into passenger lifts with associate infrastructure to provide an accessible route from the station entrance to both platforms and between platforms served by passenger trains.

Planning documents show that a lift motor room on platform one will be used to house new equipment with a new lift motor room to be constructed on platform two beneath the existing staircase.

The works also include the installation of canopies between the existing platform, as well as canopies to the lift entrance to “ensure those using the lifts are protected from adverse weather conditions”.

Ancillary work will be carried out to resurface the existing walkways linking the lifts and platforms, perch seating will be installed, replacement fencing is going be installed along the walkways’ platform edge and to cordon off the underside of the stairs, footbridge and stair structures to be repainted, handrails will be replaced and tactile paving will be installed.

The plans were submitted on April 13 under planning application number P/26/01669/PROTH. It is expected that the decision on the application will be delegated to officers and will be made after consultation on the proposal has finished.