Why is this all suddenly happening now?

East West Rail has been working on the scheme for years with numerous public consultation events in the village and elsewhere. The TWAO (Transport and Works Act Order) was applied for in July 2018 and this also went through a period of public consultation followed by a Public Enquiry in 2019. The final Order was granted by the Secretary of State for Transport in February 2020 – unfortunately, just in time for the pandemic lockdown.