Churnet Valley Railway General Discussion

Thanks for the clarification. Looking at what the Rother Valley Railway had to do for closing the gap between Junction Road and Robertsbridge, I suspect paying for the Environmental Study is a bigger deal than many realise.

 

Word is out that Staffordshire Moorlands District Council will provide grants for all reports needed to progress to Leek, grant for Leekbrook, and grant towards Cheddleton refurb.

Lead article on the Leek Post & Times website right now is Butterton WI members visit Bradnop Sewing Studio...... maybe the Voice of the Moorlands will get round to posting the article online later on (for what it's worth the word on the street refers to an article in the print edition which is out today, but I don't live in Leek).

 

Now now, just because it doesn't happen to be your interest . Live end let live, eh?

 

OK, ok, but the potential economic benefits of a line into Leek outweigh the niceness of - Oh you get the picture! And you'll get the picture even more if you read the article now on the LP&T's website - see below.

http://www.leek-news.co.uk/plans-to...ack-on-track/story-30411739-detail/story.html

Mostly funding for studies to feed into the planning application, (remember the site for the station in the Barnfields area of Leek has already been given planning approval), plus useful contributions to refrub at Chedd and a waiting room at Leekbrook junction.

 

Yay! It's been a year of silence since the planning disappointment but it looks like things are moving in the right direction again. I had already spotted the noise & vibration study on the council website:

https://www.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk/media/2200/P3039-Specification/pdf/PROC-3039_Specification.pdf

Will the development at Leekbrook Station include public access from the road or, indeed, Travellers Rest access from the railway?

 

Long way to go still, the studies will feed into the formal planning application "later this year" and planning decisions can be a right lottery - from memory the Barnfields development (including canal basin, CVR station and a Knotty Museum was rejected something like 9-2-1 at first. Weeks later a substantially similar but slightly revised application passed 11-1.

Even with a successful application there would be a need for substantial fundraising but it does raise the prospect that our PWay team, of which I am an (occasional) member will actually be laying track, not just walking it, maintaining it etc - a very nice prospect and one of the reasons I joined PWay.

There is an access lane from the road to the houses around LBJ but it's a very tight left hand turn from the Cheddleton direction and there's no real car parking. I suspect that alighting or joining trains at LBJ is one for the (distant) future, although the Travellers is a nice little hostelry, and it would keep up the symbiosis between our stations and temples of refreshment.

 

I see that the Moorland & City Railways website has had a revamp. No news on there at the moment, but are MCR involved in the Leek extension?

 

The road won't be upgraded, and there will be no dedicated parking at LBJ for the immediate future. Public access will primarily be through train travel, and walking from the main road.

 

The Barnfields application is for the Marina, a platform and a separate restaurant. The Knotty Museum and a full station building were proposals from elsewhere.

Not this latest agreement regarding Leekbrook to Leek is between CVR and the Council. Though MCR do still have involvement in the grander scheme.

 

Plans for extension to Leek gain momentum
https://www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk/news/smdcgrants2017

 

The location of the proposed station is variously described as Barnfields or Cornhill. I assume there must be some plans on the Council web site showing the actual intended location. Can someone please provide a link to these?
Thanks.

 

Application reference: SMD/2014/0750

http://publicaccess.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet?PKID=68194

 

To describe it as 'revamp' is a bit of an understatement - it looks to have been downgraded to little more than a 'placeholder' which tells you nothing!

Andy

 

Looking at that location on the map, it looks like a rather unattractive hike along Barnfield Road and then Newcastle Road to get to the town centre - both from distance and the surroundings. Am I missing something?

 

As far as the hike into Leek goes, at the moment, you're not missing much. However, the design and access statement talks about, "new and improved linkages", whatever that will mean. There's already a path down the old track-bed towards Morrison's, where the old station used to be. It also mentions Ladderedge Country Park quite a bit, as something worth being near to, rather than the town. There will also be a pub and restaurant on the site, so maybe that's as far as you'll want to go.

 

Shots from last weekends Ipstones running weekend with 5197 now online at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/frank47524/albums/72157682955290104

 

Ever fancied driving a GWR Manor along the CVR?
https://www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk/news/cvr25toplink

 

OAPWay action - rather wilted today in the heat. Replacing sleepers just south of Consall. Almost no shade but the gang of 11 managed more than was planned. I don't imagine the Rail Ale visitors this weekend will notice the difference after a few pints.

 

A week on and we have moved - two panels down the line.

 

Nice pics Neil, is that down by London Bridge?