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MP fights to save Kirkstall rail plan
A Leeds MP has launched a petition to save a proposed new railway station in the city from the Government's public spending axe.
The fate of the planned 23m station at Kirkstall Forge – the first new rail station approved for Leeds in 20 years – was put in doubt after the coalition announced its wave of deficit-reducing cuts.
Despite winning the backing of planning chiefs and the promise of 4m funding from the developers, the future of the project remains unclear as the Government considers its final funding decision.
In May, Labour's Rachel Reeves, MP for Leeds West, submitted parliamentary questions about the future of the scheme to Transport Secretary Phil Hammond.
And now she has launched a petition to boost the campaign.
Miss Reeves said: "I want to make sure that Kirkstall Forge regeneration doesn't fall foul of the cuts being made by the Coalition Government.
"The development is good for the economy and good for the community, bringing much needed private sector jobs and growth to Leeds West.
"I am determined to fight for this new station, because without it the plans simply don't add up. This will improve transport in West Leeds significantly, and support our local economy."
She is asking supporters to join the campaign by writing to Mr Hammond to ask him to back the project and ensure the station is built, as originally promised, by 2012.
Kirkstall Forge sits on the river Aire just by Kirkstall Abbey.
The Forge closed in 2002, and has since become home to a huge regeneration project of which the railway station forms one part.
The overall scheme includes more than 1,000 new homes, 150,000 square feet of new office space, bars, restaurants, shops, a hotel and the promise of 3,000 new jobs.
"The development could transform the local area, making use of a former industrial site and sitting in the green valley of Kirkstall, to create the jobs and homes of the future," Miss Reeves said.
"Crucially, the plans also feature a new railway station to serve the area. The developers have committed 4m to the project – central to the success of the project and to improving public transport in West Leeds.
"The A65 which runs by the development was listed by Leeds City Council as the most congested road in the city and to make the development economically and environmentally sustainable excellent transport links are essential."
The station will be built on the Leeds-Shipley line.
To sign the petition, email rreevesmp@gmail.com with the subject heading 'Kirkstall Forge petition'.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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