Improving access to Aldershot Station

To improve accessibility to and from Aldershot Railway Station

Last update: November 2023

Scheme Background

Hampshire County Council and Rushmoor Borough Council have a long-standing interest in delivering accessibility and public realm improvements around Aldershot Station, to support the redevelopment work that is ongoing around the town and to enhance the area around the railway station which is a key gateway to the town centre.
In recent years, designs have been developed which seek to deliver a) high-quality walking and cycling facilities within the public highway, between the railway station, the town centre and the Wellesley development to the north, to encourage and enable increased levels of active travel and b) accessibility improvements and public realm enhancements around the station itself.

January 2019 - theExecutive Member for Economy, Transport and Environment approved a project appraisal for the ‘Access to Aldershot Station’ scheme, which intended to provide improved walking and cycling infrastructure to link the new development areas with the railway station.

October 2020 - the ‘Aldershot Station Transport Hub and Public Realm Improvements’ scheme was approved. This scheme intended to provide an improved interchange facility, to lock in high levels of walking, cycling and public transport use.

Early 2023 - the County Council made the decision to update the design of the schemes due to budgetary constraints, primarily arising from the impact of inflation across the construction sector. Also in early 2023, the local bus operator was required to vacate the privately owned former bus station site and whilst assessing its operations and routes as part of these changes, it made a commercial decision to reduce services to railway station area.

On this basis, the detailed design of the scheme was updated, with focus on Hampshire County Council transport priorities to a) increase the modal share of active and sustainable travel in the area and b) to improve accessibility and enhance the public realm in the area around the railway station. Significant works to provide bus infrastructure within the railway station forecourt - a destination to which the local bus operator has reduced services on commercial grounds, and the significant investment in areas of third-party land required to achieve this was no longer considered appropriate.

The scheme aim is still to improve access to the railway station and support the wider regeneration plans for Aldershot, by creating sustainable transport links to new housing developments and accommodating the associated increase in pedestrian and cycle journeys within the town. The focus of the scheme has shifted away from a significant redevelopment of the railway station forecourt, to instead prioritise the pedestrian and cycle improvements to the highway network between the railway station, the town centre and Wellesley, whilst also delivering public realm enhancements to the area around the railway station.

Improvements to Aldershot Railway Station Forecourt and the surrounding roads

The elements proposed to progress under the redefined project scope are:

  1. The creation of a high-quality north-south cycle route between Aldershot Railway Station and the Wellesley Development. This would provide the second of two key cycle links between Wellesley and the town centre, with this being the eastern link which connects to the railway station. The scheme will also deliver improved facilities for pedestrians in the area.
  2. Improvements to the public space in and around the railway station forecourt to enhance the quality of the public realm. This includes improvements to pedestrian areas and landscaping around the station forecourt. More space will be provided for the movement of pedestrians and cycle users in this area, with associated changes to the location of taxi ranks and parking spaces to make best use of the space available.
  3. The updated scheme will also include a significant area of carriageway resurfacing on Windsor Way. There is an opportunity to coordinate the planned works with highway maintenance activities, to provide a high-quality outcome and to minimise the impact of future highway works on the local community and town centre highway network.
  4. To compliment and add value to the cycle route, the County Council is developing proposals to install more cycle parking around the railway station. This would follow as a second phase, after completion of the main works as described above, once it has been confirmed that sufficient funding remains.
Further Background

The Executive Lead Member for Economy, Transport and Environment gave approval for the implementation of the Aldershot Station Highway Scheme on 15 January 2019 and the implementation of the Aldershot Station Forecourt Scheme on 8 October 2020.

Read the Decision Reports;

The associated public engagement surveys are now closed, but you can still read the information pack. The feedback survey results can now be viewed in the findings report.

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Address
Universal Services
Hampshire County Council
The Castle
Winchester
SO23 8UD