New ramp & access to platform 1
Published: 25 September 2019
PRESS RELEASE
Bat & Ball Station to have step free access to both platforms
- new access ramp to Platform 1 to be opened by Sevenoaks Mayor
Sevenoaks Town Council has recently completing its refurbishment of Bat & Ball Station and opened the premises as part of the National Heritage Open Day on Saturday 21st September linking the station to Knole via the use of many heritage buses all available free to ride, kindly provided by Go Coach. The Open Day was a great success enabling visitors to view the restored building and community art, listen to talks provided by the Thomas Crampton Society, sample the café and ride on the heritage buses.
The Town Council committed to regenerating the station and local area and a key part of this was providing a step free access onto platform 1. To enable this to happen the Town Council made available some of its land on the community centre site and made land agreements with Network Rail and Southeastern.
Sevenoaks Mayor, Cllr Nicholas Busvine OBE will formally open the access ramp at 9.30 a.m. on Monday 30th September 2019. Residents are invited to join the Mayor by gathering in the Community Centre car park.
Bat & Ball Station was opened in 1862, however this is the first time that passengers will be able to access Platform 1 directly. This will be of help to those with mobility needs and parents with buggies.
The access ramp has cost approximately £200,000. The build was complicated due to the need to address train related high voltage cables and other infrastructure. The construction cost of the ramp has been met by Sevenoaks Town Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) receipts and Sevenoaks District Council CIL contribution of £54,852. CIL is a charge on most developments over a certain size to fund local infrastructure.
Linda Larter MBE
Chief Executive / Town Clerk
23rd September 2019.