Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

I've mixed feelings about the overlapping memberships. It's obvious (and, in my experience, the L&B is far from unique in this) from what has happened that board members have at times lost sight of the fact that they are acting as a director of body X rather than for a wider interest. At the same time, I've a lot of time for the idea that linked bodies should have some, or even a majority, of directors who are there to ensure that the "junior" organisation works within the interests of the "parent".

In my view, this is then less about formal structures and more about culture - yet again.

 

That would depend on the nature of parent & subsidiary businesses. In this case the directors of LBBC as a PLC owe a duty to all shareholders, in the Trust the trustees are (or should be) directed by the governing document. The potential for conflicts of interest can be seen.

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I agree, but in an organisation like the L&B, the two categories are not completely distinct - hence the challenge

 

I think that the gap is wider (or ought to be) between the LBBC and LBRT. The overlap between LBRT and CIC is understandable and largely desirable. The overlap with 762??? Once more it strikes me strongly that there are too many organisations and the governance structure too unclear.

If we are to be serious about building a longer railway this lack of clarity must be addressed. As must the relationship with EA/YVT. And no that doesn’t mean rolling everything into LBRT, nor does it mean creating any impression of winners and losers.

 

It does need to be tied to the whole line from Blackmoor to Woody Bay, from the Cricket Lane application there are several householders and landowners in Parracombe against any extension to the line. Including the newish owners of Hadden Hall.

Ideally the Blackmoor car and coach park and station can take tourists by train to Woody Bay, they can get a bus or coach to Lynton and the funicular lift. Some will get food from the Inn at Blackmoor?.

Perhaps time to sort out and fully cost a new rail route and planning application bypassing Parracombe, rather than the original route, maybe alongside the main road, which will have less opposition?

 

I think that that would be immediately rejected by the planners as it doesn’t fit with their policy for reinstatement of the original line. A new route would fall foul of several ENPA objectives I suspect.

Just because LBRT find themselves in possession (sort of) of two stations on the old line it doesn’t necessarily follow that these are the best most logical to join together first. There are other (imho better) options.

 

Also, we need to have a change in mindset regarding property along the railway. I realise that not everybody wants to become a landowner, and we are here for the railway. That said, we know of at least two such landowners who will only sell their complete farm, which then brings back into play the concept of a linear theme park.

Even though the L&BRT could have looked at the big picture and done something with Heddon Hall (In years gone past, it was known for its Gardens* and open days), it could have become an ideal destination for the railway had the Trust given the possibilities of Heddon Hall some serious consideration at the time.

Maybe it is time to rethink the link between all these locations along the railway itself?

* It could so easily become something like Wisley (if it were correctly managed) in Surrey, with 1 million+ visitors each year, now that really would have given someone a headache

 

On their day out, do those million+ visitors visit Devon’s answer to Wisley before or after they have experienced the Fell Patent railway system descent through the Valley of the Rocks?

Tom

 

Exactly one of the key 'selling points' in the original Phase 2A application, namely that BR would become a P&R for train + coach to Lynton, with the OSI being an ideal 'refreshment stop' for them on the way home. But the Trust tried that and ultimately it failed....

 

This is where I think it's really important to understand the bureaucracy around the decisions, in terms of who make the decisions and based on what policies. Then, and only then, can plans and strategies start to make sense - and be weighed against each other.

There's a real risk to an approach based on "X has happened, therefore we need to jump to doing Y" if there isn't a clear understanding of why X has happened and how Y would be affected by that.

That's why, for example, I see no value in appealing the planning decision for CFL. Even if I thought CFL the best thing since sliced bread, I'd still see how and why that decision was taken as leaving no realistic hope of a successful appeal - while it would tie up resources (time, money, effort) in mounting an appeal rather than focusing on future planning. If the planning decision had been highly emotive, with little reference to policy, and on a close vote, my view would be different.

 

You mean the Wisley that's on one of the busiest motorways in the UK and a near-motorway-standard arterial road, and only a few miles from the largest (and affluent) connurbation in the country?

Bluntly, you could put up the hanging gardens of babylon in lynton and not get those numbers

 

Quite. The entry at Heddon Hall | Devon Gardens Trust does not suggest a Wisley, or even a Rosemoor. The site at Heddon Hall is vastly smaller than Rosemoor, let alone Wisley.

I'd also ask the question of what the L&B is for. If Heddon were the next Heligan, there'd be a major job just sustaining that in its own right - let alone as a subsidiary of the railway.

Finally, some numbers:
RHS Wisley, 2019 - 1,232k visitors
RHS Rosemoor, 2019 - 256k visitors
Heligan, 2018 - 355k visitors

 

Clearly, the whole scheme is a messed up mixed up project, with too many fingers and bodies in too many pies,
I have said it before, and will no doubt say it again, The land acquisitions, need to be done by a body who has been set up with just that purpose in mind, not running a stretch of line, not running a pub, not doing any other activities except identifying and purchasing the former track bed, and where this is not possible, then preparing plans to bypass that section, or through talking with interested bodies, finding ways to achieve your aims, but with keeping people who have an interest on board, and on good terms, it could mean, running round a property, or identifying with others possible alternative routes, and finding agreement with the land owners not the present confused way,

 

Sorry guys, I meant it to be an example of what Heddon Hall could become at the end of the line from Woody Bay as a good visitor attraction, not so much as a copy of Wisley (to start with the local roads couldn't copy with that amount of traffic and Parracombe is not next to the M25), but I view this as something that could have benefitted both Parracombe and the railway that could work in co operation with each other in a partnership.

In the past, on family day outs, there were two fixtures that we had to comply with: 1. A garden centre or something similar for Mum and Dad. 2, a railway for me.

The point I am making is that if we worked our way along the railway with different attractions, it would become part of a much larger community. And the railway becomes part of the vital transport link across Exmoor.

 

Martin

I think I can say that several members would like it to happen in this way, but very few people appear to be reading from the same page right now, and some are not working for the benefit of a better railway, but for their own ego.

 

But that relies on a) the owners of Heddon Hall wishing to take it that way and, b) there being a desire to partner. There may or may not have been a missed opportunity previously (I don't know), but given that the owners of Heddon Hall are, at the least, not railway supporters, I'd be reluctant to take their name in vain.

My family have similar imperatives on days out. Within easy reach by car of Woody Bay, there are a number of attractions that could meet that family mixed bill.

Mutual publicity and support is undoubtedly part of the way forward, I believe already happens at Woody Bay, but relies on there being something to partner with.

 

Very likely true, but that is a function of people and how they have chosen to operate, not organisations. EA/YVT are doing nothing that L&BRT couldn't have done; the decisions and choices are about how each have set their priorities.

 

I would agree with this. I don't know what they plan to do with Heddon Hall, except to make it a Family Home. If they decide to try something else, then it would not hurt to talk to them at the time. I do feel that we have missed so many opportunities in the past, like it or not, we do need to work in partnerships with the whole of the North Devon Community and not as a confused group that at times does not appear to have a sense of direction.

Besides, I feel Parracombe is a bit like a poison chalice right now and needs to be avoided at all costs.

 

I’m not convinced by the “mixed day out” model, especially if you have to pay for both. It becomes an expensive day for a family and - especially if you are reliant on the railway part to act as transport to the non-railway part - ends up being rather constraining at the non-railway attraction as you have half an eye on the timetable etc. Plus if there is any distance between the two then that further erodes your time.

In the past I’ve combined “day at paid attraction and finish at beach” but very rarely (or successfully) “paid attraction followed by another paid attraction”.

Tom

 

Also fair - though the "free" garden centre can often be a good half way house. How does (did?) the Sheffield Park option combine at the Bluebell?

For NT members, there is a range of options locally that would combine well, at little extra cost.