Success for bus stop bid

A BUS stop will be provided close to an old people’s home in Southwell after a four-year campaign.

Southwell Town Council has successfully campaigned for Nottinghamshire County Council to put a stop near Moorfield Court and the Minster School on Nottingham Road.

At present, the nearest stops are towards the top of Nottingham Road, up a hill from the old people’s complex.

The leader of the town council, Mr Peter Harris, said: “This is a bus stop that has been long awaited.

“Previously there were issues with highway safety about providing a bus stop at the bottom of the hill so residents of Moorfield Court and pupils from the Minster School had to walk up the hill to catch the bus.

“We have been campaigning for this ever since Moorfield Court was built.

“People from Moorfield Court will now be able to get into Southwell and Nottingham more easily.”

There will be a stop at the end of the footpath between Nottingham Road and Moorfield Court and another on the opposite side of the road.

Both will have shelters.

The town council hopes to create a park and ride scheme operating from the carpark it owns behind the leisure centre on Nottingham Road to take people into Southwell town centre.

The town council carpark is free to use.

It is working with the county council to allow buses to pull into the carpark to pick up passengers.

Mr Harris said: “We are very pleased that the county council and the bus company have agreed that this is a good site for a bus stop.

“We are still looking to develop the park and ride scheme there and this is an interim.

“Obviously people travel into Nottingham from nearby villages and they will now be able to park in the town council owned carpark and take the bus.”

The county councillor for Southwell, Mr Bruce Laughton, said: “This is really good news. This means that children from the Minster School haven’t got to go up and down the hill.

“The residents of Moorfield Court will be able to walk out of the door and be practically at the bus stop.

“This solves so many problems down there.”