Weardale, Dartmoor and RMS for sale

As a dormitory for Exeter?


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It is 20 miles away and, much as I dislike the urban sprawl, there is plenty of room, and nicer places, nearer Exeter.

 

its a question of what location would have least planning problems, urban sprawl , or un developed areas of North Devon that are off the map of development protesters and nimby's I would imagine ask someone in Exeter where can we build x 1000 new homes, and they would say, anywhere other than Exeter, and as North Devon is largely undeveloped, that might give more scope for housing development?

 

I live in what has become a dormitory town, and the rail commutes are 20 odd miles to Nottingham, 30 odd miles to Peterborough, and 105 miles to London. I can't comment on the desirability of different places near Exeter.

 

How sad

 

The seaside properties are rising in value which could force young families to look outside of Exeter and Plymouth and the possibility of communiting from Tavistock and Okehampton.
Looks like a proposal for the line to Tavistock using low cost tram like DMUs was put forward in 2017 for going live 2024, but estimated costs increased to £93m (which the Government may not pay) and a bus seems more likely.
However a regular commuter train from Okehampton to Exeter looks feasable and GWR are looking at costs.

Hopefully the Dartmoor heratige service will find a way of working between Meldon and Crediton during the day.
It see they are saying on the website

 

Odd tho', innit ..... when one looks at the reasons for that 'urban sprawl', it comes down to population increase and life preferences. As a species, we breed away* and as individuals (who, on average, live longer than our forebears), count success as having a nice house and all those other goodies society regards as markers of that success. Many make it their business to criticise or look down upon those less affluent as feckless indolents, who are the architects of their own misfortune, cos they're not living in a nice house, with a nice car etc. etc. Many look askance at urban housing blocks and large long established estates** and even in such places, many households have two (or more) cars. It all takes space (as does the infrastructure to keep it all going) and almost all of us, let's face it, are part of the reason for said 'urban sprawl' .... and for those amongst us who aren't going to live forever and don't opt for cremation, we do so to the point of still occupying space once we're dead!***

.... so stop complaining and get on with your shopping and producing the next indoctrinated generation of unquestioning happy consumers!

* this can't all be blamed on uninspired TV scheduling
** looking at some of those bobawful sh*tholes places, I'm with Hyacinth Bucket .... "It's the dustmen I feel sorry for. How are they supposed to know what they're meant to take and what to leave?"
*** and who doesn't want their own grave to be in a suitably 'nice' location?

 

There are worse fates. Okehampton is very nice. My sister-in-law comes from there.

John

 

That sounds double edged. I once heard someone born and brought up in Burnley put especial emphasis on "from" when saying he came from Burnley...

 

Because they would be houses with rail to Exeter area where jobs are. Houses are built all over in places where Im hard pressed to think there are many jobs.

 

I'll accept it is a matter of preference but, in my view, turning small towns into larger "dormitories" for nearby (?) cities is of little benefit for the commuters, who spend hours (and cash) every week travelling back and fore, and it destroys the community life and services of the town as the commuters do most of their shopping either on-line or in the city they work in, they also have only limited time to involve themselves in local activities. Many dormitory towns centres are almost dead during the working week as there are few people around apart from non-working mothers with kids and the elderly.

 

I agree it is a risk, but I think it a caricature of what towns are actually like to live in.

The risk is more that smaller towns cannot offer the same range of shops and entertainment as larger towns, and that this lack of attraction forms a vicious circle.


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Few High Streets in the UK are doing more than hanging on or devolving into chip-nail-tat shops. Fewer and fewer towns and small cities offer much in the way of employment.
Look at any city in the country and you find they ate and are eating up the surrounding villages as they sprawl out.
You go where the work is and try to find housing nearby. Most dont want to live in the older parts of a city. Sure some do and can afford the nice areas most cannot though.
Commutation to work by train in heavily populated areas makes sense as the time it takes by
car grows ever longer.

 

Having a look at the Tavistock to Plymouth raillink, a report said there were about a thousand commutors, most by car but 55 by bus, it suggested the road will increasingly become more congested and recommended a train line estimated at £25m rather than a tram at £45m. House developers would pay some.
But there were delays and now the estimated cost is £93m, so unlikely to proceed (it's not clear why the cost has increased?).
There seem to be several proposals from various parts waiting on the transport minister to approve.
Exeter to Okehampton is much more straightforward as the track is there and if the GWR, NR, Dartmoor Railway Supporters Association and any potential new owners of the Dartmoor railway can get the outstanding approval to get regular commuter DMU and weekend leisure trains working with the heritage tea and Christmas trains.

 

The receivers will want to get as much as they can for creditors and existing shareholders. If a buyer can't be found quickly hope the recievers will be able to work with the Dartmoor Railway Supporters Association, DCC and GWR to keep trains running?

 

Now that Boris has decided to undo some of the Beeching cuts will this put a different spin on matters? Devon Council have long held an ambition to reinstate passenger services to Okehampton as a part of their structure plan. A lot of house building is planned and public transport ticks the environmental boxes.

 

Why?