Rail ticket office closure plan fury

METRO Mayor Dan Norris has urged a government minister to be “flexible and pragmatic” as he raised deep concerns over rapid plans to close rail ticket offices across the West of England.

In a face to face meeting with Rail Minister Huw MerrimanMr Norris explained how residents had contacted him up in arms about the plans.

A 21-day consultation was held last month into the proposed closures, with the proposals apparently pushed by ministers.

be a note explaining what has happened, why we continue to pay a chief executive and an interim chief executive, and the accounts need to disclose that because it’s an event that happened in 2022/23.

“I am surprised that has not been discussed at Weca committee in some form – it may have been privately but it certainly hasn’t been discussed at public meetings and there is nothing on record.”

Weca committee is the combined authority’s decisionmaking body comprising metro mayor Dan Norris and the leaders of its three constituent councils – Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset.

Dr Greer has been on absence through illness since the end of November 2022 and Mr Ennis stepped up to her role on a temporary basis days later from his previous position as interim director of investment and corporate services.

He received £124,467 from the four months between December 1 and March 31 alone while the permanent incumbent was also being paid.

That is as far as the annual accounts go, but Weca confirmed to the LDRS last week that the situation remains the same.

By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service

The affected ticket offices include those at Filton Abbey Wood, Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa, Bristol Parkway, Yate, Oldfield Park and Keynsham where an estimated 600,000 paper tickets were sold last year.