PROMISES to set aside land for a 400-space car park have boosted plans for an £8m upgrade at Long Hanborough railway station.

It was revealed last week that First Great Western and Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) plan to upgrade the station on the Cotswold Line by applying for funding from the Government.

And this week Commercial Estates Group (CEG) unveiled a scheme for 150 homes on land next to the station. In return for planning permission it would offer land for 400 car parking spaces, a new station building which would include a pedestrian bridge, ticket machine and shop, plus taxi and bus drop-off points.

Development project manager at CEG Jon Allen said: “The present parking at Hanborough Station totals 241 spaces and is at full capacity from early in the morning each weekday.

“In the year April 2009 to March 2010, the number of passengers using Hanborough Station was 104,080. In 2013-14 the passenger numbers exceeded 200,000 and when the figures for 2014/15 are released in a few weeks’ time they will show a further significant increase. This demonstrates the sustainability and strategic importance of this location.”

Transport campaigner Hugh Jaeger welcomed the announcement.

He said: “Developer funding is really the only way of securing money for these kinds of projects now.

“The station needs a waiting room and a canopy to protect people from the weather and it would be good to put more ticket machines and a coffee machine in the waiting room.

“If you’re going to put housing in rural Oxfordshire it’s far more sustainable next to a railway station than up some lane in the middle of nowhere.”

The existing car park has 241 spaces and was upgraded from 50 spaces in 2013 at a cost of £400,000.

Mr Jaeger and other commentators believe more parking would help to draw commuters off the A40 ,partially relieving congestion around Oxford.

He said: “The amount of cars parked at a station will increase the more you increase the space. It’s either going to Long Hanborough or making a longer car journey to Water Eaton or Oxford.

“Water Eaton is going to be a good station, but it still attracts more traffic to some of Oxford’s busiest junctions, whereas going to Long Hanborough will keep cars away from these areas. It’s about spreading the load.”

CEG will hold public exhibitions on the scheme at Christ Church in Main Road, Long Hanborough,on Wednesday, from 3-9pm and next Saturday,from 10am-3pm.

Mr Allen said: “We understand the importance of actively engaging the community and stakeholders to ensure local views and opinions, wants and needs are taken into consideration and reflected in our scheme.”

The Oxfordshire LEP will present its plan to the Government in September and begin lobbying for funding.

First Great Western spokesman James Davis said: “We recognise there is huge potential for further growth at Long Hanborough.”