Stroud Railway Station may be given a facelift so it makes a good first impression on travellers.

Stroud Town Council is helping to set up a working group to look at ways to make the station area more welcoming.

It follows two consultations attended by about 50 residents and business owners when a range of potential improvements were discussed including the forecourt, approach roads and car parks.

Among their ideas were more trees, a link from the station down to the canal and a community piano. The station area was one of the areas highlighted during consultations for the Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP).

Now a new group is being launched - with the support of the Town Council - to work on the masterplan and turn ideas into reality. The first meeting will take place on Thursday, May 17 at Stroud Town Council Offices in London Road, starting at 7pm.

"There is a real desire to make things happen as we continue to liaise with GWR, Network Rail, Gloucestershire County Council and Stroud District Council about the overall design," said Stroud Mayor Kevin Cranston.

"We would like to include all sorts of different people with different skills and get as many people as possible involved. The town council is helping to get the group off the ground but its success will be up to those who become part of the group."

The town council has designed a 'Skills Register' where people can enter a few details about what they would like to offer to the new group. The link is: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/friendsstroudstation.

The new group will be an independent community interest company (CIC) not a council group but will work closely and in partnership with key groups in Stroud. The structure will allow the group to apply for different types of funding for bringing ideas off the page and into reality.

For more information contact Kim Cowan, project officer at Stroud Town Council on 01453 762817.

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