Improvements to a level crossing could be in the pipeline as a county council's transport team is putting forward the case for a major upgrade. 

Rutland County Council has plans for a multi-million-pound scheme for a new transport hub at Cold Overton Road close to the crossing in Oakham. However, the planning application for the hub was rejected in September over safety fears about the new hub's location due to its proximity to the level crossing. 

The application for the hub at Jules House will go back before the council's planning committee on Tuesday (January 28) and the papers reveal that the council's transport team is considering some works to the level crossing. 

The report says: "The Rutland County Council transport strategy team would like to advise the Rutland County Council planning committee that the commissioning of a major study investigating options for improvements to the Cold Overton Road/ Oakham Station Level Crossing/B640 Barley. 

"The Rutland Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan has identified the Oakham Station Level Crossing Junction as a 'critical junction' because it creates severance for pedestrians, cyclists and other wheeled users between the Oakham Town Centre and key destinations including the proposed Oakham Mobility Hub, Rutland Memorial Hospital, the Oakham Train Station and Catmose College.  



Jules House in Oakham was considered as a potential location for a new transport hub (Photo: Nub News)

"This junction is affected by issues such as heavy traffic flows and complicated junction crossing arrangements, making it difficult for pedestrians, cyclists and other wheeled users to navigate. This is exacerbated by the existence of the railway level crossing through the junction." 

It says the transport team is currently seeking quotes to commission a business case for a major junction upgrade, including public realm improvements to the Oakham Station level crossing junction and the surrounding area.  

At the September planning committee, the councillors voiced their concerns about pedestrian access to the new planned hub, which will be a base for the new fleet of electric buses acquired by the authority. 

The planning committee's recommendation was that the decision was deferred until potentials for pedestrian crossings were assessed. 

The new planning application says that the council has now undertaken a road safety audit and assessed various crossing point options. The proposal now is for a pedestrian crossing with a central reservation across Cold Overton Road, and a footway across the grass in front of the mobi-hub pedestrian entrance. The highways authority has commented on the applications and says further refinement and examination of the crossing proposal is needed along with a further safety audit. 

If approved, the building would be totally remodelled inside with walls knocked down to create a new transport office with a kiosk and café and also office space upstairs. A new stone-built extension will replace the existing conservatory. Part of the Rutland Memorial Hospital car park, which sits next door, will form part of the scheme and include a new bus shelter and electric charging points. Nearby Leylandii trees would be taken out and new planting put in. 

Officers have recommended the committee approve the application.