Local Lib Dems call on First Great Western to keep commuter trains stopping at Oldfield Park Station

Don Foster MP for Bath and local Lib Dem Councillors have called on First Great Western to reverse a decision that will stop a busy commuter train stopping at Oldfield Park station.

First Great Western has announced that the service departing Filton Abbey Wood at 17:09 and Bristol Temple Meads at 17:23 will no longer stop at Oldfield Park station.

This service was crucial for a large number of residents living in the South West of Bath using it on a daily basis. As a result, commuters will be expected to get one of the already over-crowded trains leaving Bristol Temple Meads at 17:14 or 17:49.

Westmoreland Community News member Matt Hemsley, who is a commuter between Oldfield Park and Bristol Temple Meads, raised the issue with Don. Matt said, "This loss of this service is a great worry among commuters on this route. Trains are already full at peak time, and removing this service is only going to make the situation worse. It is a regular occurrence to see people, especially cyclists, turned away."

Commenting Don Foster said, "I wrote to First Great Western in mid-November asking them why they have decided to stop this service from calling at Oldfield Park. I have also made enquiries to see what First Great Western's estimates the number of customers currently using the service are and what alternative services they expect them to use".

First Great Western replied that the other trains are less crowded. But this conflicts with the experience of passengers who claim that it is already over-crowded.

Cross-party support to tackle urban gulls

We are pleased to be able to report that Don Foster, MP for Bath and 17 other MP’s have written to Caroline Spelman at DEFRA to demand more money is put into research of urban gulls. The cross-party group of MP’s are highlighting how much of a nuisance urban gulls are in their constituencies and how little research there currently is into this problem.

Westmoreland in Bath as Don well knows, has long suffered from Urban Gulls with regular reports of aggressive behaviour, rubbish be strewn across streets and even attacks on property.

Commenting Don Foster said, “It is essential that we put an end to this problem. We need more government funded research if we are to find a humane and effective method of controlling gull numbers.”

He continued, “Urban Gulls remain a nuisance for many of my constituents who have written to me about the issue.  As such, I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that this problem is dealt with.”