PLANS for a long-awaited railway station in a rapidly expanding Lancashire village have been scaled down with more than a third of park-and-ride spaces cut.

Revised proposals for the long-awaited Buckshaw Parkway, which will serve Buckshaw Village, near Chorley, are set to go before planners August 17.

The station would stand on the Manchester to Blackpool line, with passengers able to get to Blackburn, Burnley and beyond via Preston and Bolton.

However concerns have been raised about changes made by Network Rail from the original plans.

It was originally intended for the station to have 338 parking spaces on two car parks but Network Rail now said land earmarked for one of the parking areas was no longer available, cutting that figure to 204.

The height of the station will be reduced to single storey, platform canopies will be removed and replaced with two waiting shelters and the 20m station footbridge will have a simpler straight design rather than curved.

Coun Mark Perks, who represents the area on the county council, said: "Buckshaw Village deserves the best and most accessible public transport and I hope planners will look carefully at these proposals."

Tony Phillips, 37, has lived in the village for two years and at the moment commutes by car to his civil service job in Preston.

He said: “The village is crying out for a railway link and park-and ride facilities are the key to people like me using the service.

“To lose more than a third of the car spaces planned sounds like it will mean a scramble to park there and could put people off.”

In the planning document, which will go before councillors next week, Network Rail defends the changes.

The firm said: “The changes are a more economical and effective layout while still providing a modern, functional and accessible station.”

Original plans for Buckshaw station were to have it ready for 2004, but after a series of delays the opening was pushed back until 2008 and then summer 2011.

After a shortfall in funding an additional £3.3m from the Community Investment Fund was secured to build the station last year.