A SMALL parish council is taking the initiative to create a transport for the future.

St Bees Parish Council has drawn up a consultation paper which would see the hub established right next to St Bees Railway Station.

It could include adding 25 to 30 parking spaces on land next to the present leased car park on ground owned by Copeland council - land that the borough council has agreed in principle to hand over to St Bees.

It would also include the creation of public vehicle charging points for electric cars and e-bike charging.

If it goes ahead, the plans would also allow more access to the station platform from the car park.

The council would also like to see a footpath linking the station to the middle of the village.

Cllr Eric Taylor said the possibility of that happening depends on establishing who own the land and negotiating permission to use it.

Mr Taylor said: "We have talked about this hub for years but nothing was done.

"We have now decided to take it on ourselves - or at least the first part. Our chairman Doug Sim has done most of the work on the consultation document. We have also received a lot of help from the Cumbria Rail Partnership."

He said in the lack of any progress, the council has decided to go ahead and hold the consultation and then apply for outlying planning permission.

"We have decided that we will pay for that, although the community rail officers have given us ideas about some funding we might be able to access."

The parish council says the creation of the station hub is a unique opportunity to use one of the few pockets of land in public ownership in the centre of the village to the benefit of the community.

"Without this land, the station car park will be constricted. There will be no place to put a charging hub, and lack of parking will continue to inhibit use of the village core."

The other essential point made is that there are 10,000 workers at Sellafield and plans to allow no private vehicles on the grounds after 2025.

"There is therefore a healthy Sellafield commuting demand," the consultation document says.

It is available on the parish council website.