the funding bid for a second railway station for Okehampton was up for discussion when Central Devon MP Mel Stride met the area’s county and borough councillors for a catch up last Friday.

Borough councillor Julie Yelland (Okehampton South) and county and borough councillor Lois Samuel asked Mel to seek a progress update from the Department for Transport about the the Devon County Council bid for funding for the parkway station, vital to maximise economic benefits of the Dartmoor Line. Cllr Yelland said: ‘It was great to catch up with Mel and discuss some of the local issues that really matter here in West Devon. These include a second rail station on the eastern edge of Okehampton to improve accessibility and reduce congestion.’ Borough councillor Nicky Heyworth (Chagford) opened the meeting by congratulating Mr Stride on his appointment as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Cllr Patrick Kimber (Hatherleigh) asked about energy bill support for farmers, small businesses and schools. Mr Stride added: ‘It was very good to catch up with Julie, Lois, Patrick and Nicky on a number of important local and national issues and I will certainly see if I can get a progress report on where we are with the funding bid for the second station in Okehampton.’