A THREE-year campaign for a bus shelter to be provided on Minehead sea front appeared to finally have started to make progress this week.

Somerset Council said it had ‘not ruled out’ the idea of a shelter for bus passengers waiting in Warren Road outside the West Somerset Railway Station.

A spokesperson told the Free Press: “We are currently looking at the options and considering the potential impact on the West Somerset Railway.

“We are also in contact with Minehead Town Council, and the location will be considered as part of the council’s wider bus shelter programme.”

Bus campaigner Linda Sparks, who lives in Williton and works in Minehead, said she was pleased the idea was at last officially being considered.

Ms Sparks said: “It seems there are options, but there is too much talking going on and not enough action.

“All this talking and wasting time, the clock is ticking and weeks, months, and years have gone by.

“Meanwhile, our community, the young, elderly, disabled, workers, have been suffering without a shelter from the wind and rain which can be pretty unpleasant right on the sea front, and no shade at all from the hot weather last summer.”

Ms Sparks said Somerset Council was still only ‘considering’ the idea as part of its town-wide bus shelter programme, which was tantamount to just saying ‘we will think about it’.

She said: “I will not give up, I will keep pushing for this shelter until we get one for all the passengers.”

Ms Sparks said the unitary authority had been given £25 million by the Government for bus service improvements and should be able to fund the estimated £10,000 to £12,000 cost of a shelter for Minehead.

She has already secured private funding to provide a seat for waiting passengers at the bus stop once a shelter is built.