A petition for lifts at Stroud railway station has been launched off the back of a damning review by a disability auditor.

The council is collecting signatures to help it get a share of £300 million of funding recently made available by the government to improve access at railway stations.

It is making the bid after Christian Drewitt, a lifelong wheelchair user who rates places around Gloucestershire on their accessibility, gave the station one star out of five.

“On arrival at Stroud station it is immediately obvious the accessibility issues you are faced with as a wheelchair user,” he wrote in his report.

“There is a footbridge which is up a flight of stairs to take you from one platform to the other and there is no ramp or lift option.

“I looked around for some instruction on an alternative to get to the other side of the station other than the stairs, to which I could find nothing.”

Once he was pointed to the noticeboard by a member of the public, Christian, whose sight is impaired, said: “It was impossible for me to read with a sight impairment. Large printed options should be provided in the station.”

The route those who can not use the footbridge must take

Christian also criticised the 10 to 15 minute length of the journey to the other platform, the lack of a self-service ticket machine on platform two, and the station’s disabled toilet, which requires a key from the ticket office and so is out of use when the office is closed.

Stroud town mayor Kevin Cranston said Christian’s experience was proof the station needed funding to improve accessibility.

“We knew the station did not work for people in wheelchairs, but Christian’s report shows that the current arrangements are completely inadequate. The failure of assistance just adds insult to injury,” said Stroud Town Mayor Kevin Cranston.

He added: “Lifts would also help anyone with a toddler in a buggy, or heavy luggage or who is just can’t manage steps.”

GWR, which operates the station but does not own it and so cannot make permanent changes, welcomed the town council’s efforts.

“We support the town council in its bid to get lifts installed,” a spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also pointed out that disabled passengers travelling from platform two can buy tickets on the train and told the SNJ it would investigate improving signage for disability access in response to Christian's review.

View the town council’s petition here: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/let-s-have-lifts-at-stroud-station-1

And read Christian’s report in full here: accessglos.co.uk/stroud-train-station/