The Kidsgrove train station upgrade has been subject to ongoing delays and uncertainty. The threat of subsidence caused by decades of coal-mining is delaying plans to improve the train station, build a transport interchange and parking for 200 cars.
Newcastle Borough Council was allocated £3.8 million in Levelling Up funds for a new car park, station forecourt, and extended station building. However, recent estimates show the project cost has risen to £5.5 million, exceeding the budget.
Further work cannot go ahead until a full survey has been done to discover the extent of of the subsidence and a fully funded restoration plan put in place, but the restoration programme cost can’t be determined withour a survey. Now the Kidsgrove Town Deal Board are considering whether to proceed with surveys or redirect the funds elsewhere in the town.
Frustration is growing with residents feeling the project is stalled with no clear resolution confirmed. If the Catch-22 situation is not resolved quickly the funding will be with drawn and all the money earmarked for improving Kidsgrove train station will be lost. The council has until 2027 to spend the existing Levelling Up money before it needs to be returned to the government.
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