Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

Nose, face, spiting of? Probably could get better price now than if CP powers are used?

 

Compensation under CP is quite generous; she may be just pushing for a good deal. I.e. the compensation formula plus a little for saving the company the legal etc costs of a CPO. That would be my strategy if I were in her position and not fond of railways. There is a price for most things!

John

 

I get the distinct impression that money is not a factor in this matter for said individual.
"OMDB" applies.

 

Ode to The EPNA & NDC Planning Officers

Shall the bucolic silence be shattered
By the tramping of touristic feet?
Or the peasants be given employement
Solely in order to eat?

So what if access gets easier
When grockles come down here by train?
If you make it too easy to get here
They'll come back again and again

What price then the peace of old Exmoor?
Cut through with the squealing of sows
And the laughter of local old farmers
While milking Devonian cows

So who need the jobs or the money?
That sort of thing's for the poor
From here we pretend that they only exist
In the frame of the view from our door

So please planning office consider
Our peace was expensively bought
For "us", just for "us", not for "them" can't you see?
This process is terribly fraught

Our viewpoint is so very simple
The real world is too full of care
If locals need jobs, what's the problem?
Surely they'll get them elsewhere?

So what's more important to Exmoor?
The prospect of hundreds of jobs
For yokels who only get in the way
Of some well off retired old sods?

==========•• OOO ••===========

I suspect Carol Ann Duffy's job is safe for the time being ... and before anyone complains, I composed and nearly included a stanza around 'the racket of L&B shunts', so count your blessings!

 

Yes, so British and so 'I'm alright, Jack - pull up the ladder'.

John

 

There's not nearly enough verse in these pages!
I don't know about Carol Ann Duffy, but there's a touch of Betjeman at his more astringent here.

 

At least its not McGonnagall

 

OMDB is fine, but means fighting a TWAO and probably a public enquiry in order (in all likelihood) to lose. But this is the way the system is designed to work in order to protect property rights (you'd approve if it was your property facing a CPO), and I'm sure the railway and their advisors have already thought this through.

 

Has any preserved railway (except the Welsh Highland, which was a very different ball game to the L&B) been awarded compulsory purchase powers as part of a TWAO?

 

Not yet, as far as I know. Rother Valley Railway will be seeking CPO powers in their application and some of the landowners will definitely object.

The WHR Order included CPO powers for deviation land, as well as for evicting those who believed they were entitled to possession of parts of the original route.
https://www.national-preservation.c...-of-trackbed-for-uk-heritage-railways.829282/

 

The L&B Planning Applications to ENPA are likely to be decided in just a few days...

Bearing in mind the implications of the forthcoming deliberations, could I ask members of this group to exercise restraint in any online discussions - here or elsewhere - however private they may appear to be.

Intense debate, Idle speculation, personal insults or other negative behaviour (not that this is particularly the case here so far...) will not assist the decision-makers to find in favour of the applications. If you see anything untoward on Nat. Pres. or elsewhere, please let me know.

At this stage, perhaps "least said, soonest reawakened" for the L&B.

Steaming on...

Martyn

 

Indeed, all I shall say is best of luck, you certainly deserve it after all the hard (paper)work.

 

I hope the snow shutdown doesn't affect the date of the meeting .....

 

It seems to be melting very fast, at least up this end of the country, anyway. What I'm looking forward to seeing are some snow pictures from Woody Bay. It must have been like Alaska there these last couple of days!

 

look at L & B facebook

 

Would the train have got through when the roads were impassable?

 

looking on FB at the footage taken last night of the road between Paracombe and Barbrook, it would have needed a "Snowdrift at Bleath Gill" type job to keep any railway open!

 

I did. Nothing. Link please?

 

https://m.facebook.com/groups/28406680127 about 3-4 posts down

 

Maybe melting fast , but we still have snow drifts of 10ft on the main road betbetw Blackmore gate and Bratton flemming