New state-of-the-art help point at Scarborough Station

​Network Rail’s proposal to install three new ‘help points’ and replace two existing points at Scarborough Station to “enhance the information” available to people has received the green light.

​The listed building consent includes permission for the installation of state-of-the-art equipment that is designed to comply with legal accessibility provisions and seeks to improve convenience for customers.

​Passengers using the proposed help points would be connected directly to call centres with two ‘call buttons’.

​One would connect to an operator able to provide train running information, and the other is intended for use in an emergency to summon assistance.

​Council officers said that the help points are “considered to be modest in their size, appearance and positioning in the station, which is not attached to any of the historic masonry”.

​They added that “likewise, it will not result in the loss of any part of the historic fabric of the listed building”.

​NYC’s conservation officer was consulted on the plans and did not object to the scheme, stating that the works are “modest, proportionate, and reversible”.

​Plans submitted to the council stated: “The purpose of the project is to enhance information available to customers in order to increase the sense of reassurance and security of travelling by train.

​“The help points subject to the accompanying listed building consent application will follow the principle of inclusive design, ensuring that all passengers, including those with disabilities or other access needs, are able to use them independently, safely, and with dignity.”

​The application was approved by North Yorkshire Council, subject to conditions.

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