Taxi permit scheme change to be confirmed next month

Chelmsford City Council has taken action to help to increase the number of taxis available at Beaulieu Park Station. Last month, the council suspended taxi permit charges at Beaulieu Park to allow licensed taxis signed up to the scheme to use the station’s rank without charge. The free extension was granted to existing permit-holders after an initial 6-month pass expired.

The council also published a decision notice on 24 April 2026 for the complete removal of the scheme for all licensed taxis, set to be confirmed on 19 June following the notice period required for decisions of this kind.

Permit schemes common at railway station sites

Beaulieu Park Station, the first new railway station on the Great Eastern Main Line for over a century, opened last October to relieve pressure on Chelmsford’s main railway station and serve the growing Chelmsford Garden Community. Permit schemes are commonly used at railway station sites to make taxi ranks more manageable, but demand can be hard to judge at new facilities.

Scheme reviewed during first 6 months

Permits were initially issued at £200 for 6 months, with a break clause to reassess this arrangement. Although growing numbers of passengers have been travelling to and from the new station, a review of current patterns of use showed that a permit scheme isn’t currently needed. The scheme is only for hackney carriages. Private hire, prebooked taxis and other vehicles use the pick-up area rather than the taxi rank.

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“Early concerns that the taxi rank might become clogged haven’t been borne out and although the initial permit scheme was introduced with the best intentions, we could only agree with local taxi drivers that there’s little need for it right now.

“Openings of major travel hubs like Beaulieu Park are rare, and initially the flow of passengers and traffic are a bit of an unknown quantity. Beaulieu Park is different to Chelmsford, and demand is more intermittent.

“I’m grateful for the feedback we’ve had from local taxi firms - removing the permit scheme will enable any hackney carriage licensed by the council to use the rank, making it easier for taxis to meet demand for their services.”

Paul Brookes, Director of Sustainable Communities

Walking and driving most popular ways to reach station

Taxis are just one of the ways to get to Beaulieu Park Station. A passenger travel survey carried out by Essex County Council found walking to be the top mode of transport to and from the station (29%), closely followed by driving (27%). Another 17% of respondents said they were dropped off by car and 10% cycled.

Walkers and cyclists can reach Beaulieu Park Station via upgraded pathways and connections to local cycle and walking routes. New resin-bound or tarmacked paths have been created across the station site to link with existing cycle and walking routes from Channels, Springfield and Beaulieu and Chelmer Village. Downloadable maps with details of all the routes are available on the Chelmsford City Council website.

There are nearly 700 parking spaces across two car parks at Beaulieu Park Station, including 38 Blue Badge bays, room for 75 motorbikes and EV charge points. The sites are monitored by the city council and Greater Anglia’s CCTV control rooms.