Mark Dransfield, owner of Five Valleys Shopping Centre and founder of Dransfield Properties, has written an open letter to the Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander MP, expressing deep concern at the withdrawal of funding for the long-promised accessible lift at Stroud railway station.
Describing the decision as “a serious setback for the town’s infrastructure and economic future,” Mr Dransfield warned that the loss of step-free access funding undermines years of regeneration work and risks excluding significant sections of the community from using the station.
“The station sits at the very heart of Stroud, bringing people directly into the town centre for work, leisure, shopping and essential services,” said Mr Dransfield. “Accessible and reliable transport is fundamental to Stroud’s success. This decision is not just disappointing – it is damaging.”
Over the past eight years, Dransfield Properties has invested £30.2 million in the regeneration of Five Valleys, one of the largest private investments Stroud has seen in decades. The development now supports more than 370 jobs, hosts dozens of businesses contributing at least £1 million annually in business rates, and acts as a key driver of town centre footfall.
The investment has delivered benefits well beyond retail. A new medical centre now serves 15,000 patients, the relocated library saw a 53% increase in footfall in its first year, and overall visits to Five Valleys rose 12.5% last year, reaching 2.6 million visitors in 2025.
In 2024, Stroud was highlighted as a national exemplar of town centre regeneration when Dransfield Properties gave evidence to the House of Lords Select Committee on regeneration.
“It is profoundly disappointing that such constructive engagement with government has been followed by a decision that fails to meet the town even part of the way,” Mr Dransfield said.
Mr Dransfield stressed that the impact of withdrawing step-free access goes far beyond wheelchair users.
“It affects people with unseen disabilities, older residents, those with mobility or heart conditions, and families with pushchairs. Stroud should be a place that welcomes people in, not one that unintentionally excludes them.”
The letter also raises concerns about the wider pattern of transport commitments being announced but not delivered, warning that this erodes confidence and threatens future private investment.
“For too long, Stroud has been used as a backdrop for political announcements that generate headlines but fail to result in delivery,” Mr Dransfield added. “Commitments made for political gain cannot simply be abandoned once the cameras move on.”
Dransfield Properties is calling for immediate scrutiny of the decision-making process behind the funding withdrawal and a clear plan to reinstate the lift project.
“We remain fully committed to Stroud and to the continued regeneration of Five Valleys,” said Mr Dransfield. “We now expect the same level of commitment from government.”
