A £15 million parkway railway station serving Shrewsbury may be built in the next 20 years, it has been revealed in a report on growth in the county.

The proposals are contained within a report about the town’s status as one of 29 “Growth Point” areas across the country and includes plans to spend up to £6 million on pedestrian improvements in Shrewsbury between 2011 and 2026.

Richard Lawrence, growth point manager for Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council, said the station could serve as an out-of-town hub where people would park their cars before either catching a bus into Shrewsbury or a train further afield.

He said that a major investment in the rail infrastructure would be required by Network Rail before the scheme could go ahead.

Locations outlined for the proposed station include Ditherington or Harlescott as well as land near the A5 Preston Island. The cost of the scheme is estimated at £14.9 million.

The idea for the station follows the 2006 Northern Corridor Regeneration Study which said the area had been targeted for regeneration due to its “pockets of deprivation, low skill levels and traffic congestion”.

Mr Lawrence said the station has been envisaged as part of an enhanced infrastructure to cope with the expected creation of 8,200 homes across the borough by 2016.

He said: “The Shrewsbury Parkway Station project is a highly strategic aspirational scheme.

“There has been no discussions with Network Rail and it needs to be looked at as part of the existing reviews of Park and Ride and the rail infrastructure.”