Rother Valley Railway

His actual word is "hopefully". Being hopeful is a bit less than being optimistic.

 

The RVR Chairman is perhaps being hopefully optimistic, as indeed we all are. A decision was expected in Summer 2022 but, as we might all remember, HM's Government was (still is?) in a state of considerable disarray with new brooms regularly appearing in ministerial guises. Let us hope that The Decision has been ably worked through by the latest Transport Minister and a result appears before Summer 2023. None of us wants to see a hasty, slipshod, adverse decision eventuating. Something worth having is worth waiting for.

 

I think we are in for a much longer wait, such are the problems this government has, the ministers decision is going to be quite some way down the list, strikes, internal party problems, empire building, looking over your shoulder at the next greasy pole, I don't think we will see any decision this year, and it might even wait until the next administration before anything is done.

 

As I understand it - the Inquiry Inspector's report has not been completed yet.

 

Oh great. I wonder if any of us will still be around to see it?
I've got a picture in my mind now, of a cobweb-wrapped skeleton wearing a stovepipe hat, and holding a quill pen.

 

As i understand it the priority of the government has been , yes you've guessed it Brexshit, and of course, civil servants will have been relocated from every other department, to ensure their idolical flagship remains afloat, at the cost of everything else, I don't have any faith in any Tory minister, to actually get anything done, between now, and the next general election, other than feathering their own ambitions, or looking for lucrative positions from their friends in business.
Is there any time limitation from the time an public enquiry is held to the ministers report on the findings?

 

You read too much into Brexit. Functions like planning will have been much less affected, and are operating on "normal" timelines. Until that report is with the minister, there is nothing for the minister to review.

 

Understood from whom?

 

The role of the minister in this discussion is over-rated. Once Gateley Hamer have completed their report and it will be handed over to the commissioning civil servant, who in turn will make a recommendation to the minister. The minister will spend little time attending to the report and in all probability will follow the civil servant's recommendation and simply provide a quick ministerial authorization or rejection. In short, the ministers have more important rail issues on their agenda and with all due respect, the Rother Valley Railway Extension will be of limited interest. Believe me, I am a former Whitehall civil servant.

 

I will also note that, if the decision were to become "political" (which if so might well see it head towards the courts), as well as the views of local MPs, there is also the role in right wing politics of at least one of the backers of this project. I suspect all in the administrative side of this process will be very keen, as always, to maintain impartiality and deal with this based on planning law rather than political concerns.

 

As regards the MP's one, the local for the area, does support the RVR, Another, when she was a local councillor Did not she was firmly in the no camp, prefering to side with two farming families, rather than the rest of the local population, but I don't think she has much influence, she since becoming an MP, has been largely invisible in her own constituency, As regards the politics of one of the backers, I don't think his personal politics will have any impact, but what he has done with his support locally, and his ownership of LSL, might in an positive way.

 

Looking at the Gateley Hamer website.

 

That is my understanding as well also as a former Civil Servant.

 

You miss my point. The fact that local MPs have differing views will mean that the process needs to be handled with care (since Robert Jenrick's little issue with Richard Desmond, ministers and their SPADs have a better understanding of what "quasi judicial" means); something that the role of that backer is only likely to amplify given his influence in and around Tory political circles.

 

I'm given to understand that the gentleman backer in question has moved on from Tory party circles some considerable time ago.

 

Which is why I was careful with my language - he may no longer be a Tory, but his influence (and support?) does reach further into the Tory party than some Tories might be comfortable with.

 

I wondered if the website was out of date so I asked Gateley Hamer. They said they’re no longer working on this inquiry, or updating the page, but have left the link up for those who already have it. They also said they believe the Inspector’s report has been sent to the SoS for decision.

 

So it will be somewhere on the ministers desk, underneath a huge pile marked " Urgent- decision required" thats just sitting there , whilst the minister is busy networking his future employment options, updating his, tax matters, ( don't want to get caught out like what's his name) but not actually doing any actual work

 

Interesting. I noticed a while back that my link didn't work - they told me that they were no longer dealing with it - then it reappeared with little explanation. If the Inspectors report has been sent to the SOS's department that is good news. It is likely to be a large report given the number of papers submitted and the length of the Inquiry.

 

Indeed, but as has been said, the report will be read by under secretaries and senior civil servants who will no doubt give the benefit of their erudite summations to the Minister who will then in all likelihood rubber stamp their findings, perhaps, at best, after skimming the executive summary of the Inspector's Report. Cynical, moi? Certainment non!