PUBLIC consultation has started on proposed development on the edge of Wellington which will eventually include the town’s new railway station.

West of England Developments (WoE) wants to hear local people’s views on its plans for 200 homes, a care home, business units, and a car park and access for the train station next to the Longforth Farm estate.

Wellington MP Rebecca Pow met on site last week with Chris Winter, of WoE, to view the area and discuss the plans, which are expected to be submitted to Somerset West and Taunton Council in the next few weeks.

Ms Pow said: “I had an informative meeting and walk around the proposed site of the Wellington Rail Station with Chris.

“I have championed this project and have been working constructively with all stakeholders and it is welcome news that the planning application may be submitted this autumn.

“I pledged to work to bring a rail station to Wellington when I was first elected to Parliament in 2015 and this is genuinely exciting progress.

“I am proud to be part of the team that is bringing this forward and I shall continue to play my role, in particular as the link between activity on the ground in the constituency and the Department of Transport in Westminster.”

The company is expected to put in two outline planning applications, one for the spine road connection to the new train station and car park together with infrastructure such as drainage, pedestrian and cycle path connections, and commercial and employment uses.

The second application would include the housing development and care home.

Because the railway station itself will be outside Wellington’s development boundary, Network Rail will submit a separate planning application for the platforms.

WoE’s agent, Tetra Tech planning consultants, of Chelston, is managing the consultation and said people could either email [email protected] or write to Tetra Tech Planning, Hawkridge House, Chelston Business Park, Wellington, Somerset, TA21 8YA.

The closing date for comments is midnight on August 22.

Tetra Tech said the main reason for separating the uses into two applications was to allow the train stataion infrastructure to come forward sooner than the other uses.

Network Rail expects  the station will be delivered by the end of 2025.