LOCAL residents say improved access at Ledbury train station should be high on the agenda when local MP Bill Wiggin takes transport minister Chris Grayling on a site visit of the local area, this Friday (June 23).

With a visit to Ledbury Station flagged up as a stop by Mr Wiggin, the MP for North Herefordshire, his constituents have been speaking out on what needs to be done.

Local resident Andrew Dee, posing on the Voice of Ledbury site on Facebook said: "We need disabled access to the train station. The only way we can go to Birmingham is via Hereford."

This is because the existing footbridge to the side for Birmingham trains has steep steps which cannot be accessed by disabled people and parents with pushchairs.

Local resident, Sheila Spence called for "proper disabled access at the station please", and town councillor, Harrison Wilce went on step further, calling for "parking and wheelchair friendly access on the north side of the train station".

At present, car parking is only available on the side of the track for Hereford-bound trains.

Other residents want to see better train services.

Matthew Bailey said: "We want more through services from London as a large number of trains terminate at Worcester or Malvern and you end up waiting 40 minutes, so that is unattractive to use for work or for tourism."

Other residents called for Mr Wiggin and Mr Grayling, the Secretary of State for Transport, to take a close look at local roads, and in particular the pothole situation.

Paul Graham said: " I have just driven over 2000 miles in Spain using motorways, and every other type of road including miles of untarmaced tracks. I did not encounter one pothole. Not one. We are being seen as the poor man of Europe."

Bill Wiggin, who has just been re-elected as the Member of Parliament for North Herefordshire with a record majority, said that the visit would be a great opportunity for Mr Grayling "to experience the issues that affect local residents".

Bill Wiggin MP added: “One of the key local issues that was expressed to me on the doorsteps during the election campaign was the condition of our roads in North Herefordshire.

"I have long campaigned for improvements to be made to our transport infrastructure and for more money from the Government. I am delighted to say that, only two weeks after the election, my promise that the Secretary of State for Transport would come to visit North Herefordshire to see first-hand what needs to be done will take place on June 23."

Mr Wiggin said the visit would be "a real boost for our hard-working people who rely on our roads to get to and from work or school".

He added: "Chris Grayling will also be visiting Ledbury station and we will be discussing rail improvements too.”