Rother Valley Railway

Given the apparent mindset of the land owners, as abundantly revealed in the hearing process, I'd be completely astonished if a compulsory purchase could be avoided. My sense is that even if the TWAO is granted to the RVR, the land owners are going to have to be dragged every last mm of the way on the land, and they'll never give up. (I had wondered previously where the depth of their connection came from, and supposed it was likely because they'd been on that land for generations.)

Sad, but almost certainly entirely unavoidable; two sides, each with a deep emotional connection to absolutely conflicting goals.

Noel

 

It's interesting the inquiry seems to have had no local press coverage whatsoever, at least on line. I can understand RVR not wishing for publicity at this stage but I wonder if the landowners have also been advised they'd be wise to keep quiet at this moment, despite their previous press & social media campaign.

Nevertheless it's perhaps an indictment of modern local journalism, who I'm sure would've reported if they'd been fed some news by one side or the other. However, once upon a time a local journalist would've been interested in following a local story like this for its own sake regardless (and quite rightly so) of the interests of the people and organisations on one side or t'other.

 

Who pays?
nobody pays for local papers - who is going to fund the person sitting there listening?

Does the man on the Tenterden omnibus actually care? this is an argument between rich landowners and people playing trains. It's important to us, and to the landowners, but is it important to everyone else? A nice juicy stabbing or an argument about bin costs gets more readers.

 

The man on the Robertsbridge charabanc should care about what goes on in his neighbourhood, including a development like this which will affect the character of the area (in a good way I think - he may disagree). And should also be prepaed to pay for good journalism. Someday some local news providers will realise this and get back to making good money from in-depth local news, probably on line.

 

Maybe they "should", but absent of any evidence, that remains an assertion.

 

Of course it is, in response to your own assertion (and to your rhetorical questions). You should too - don't you agree?

 

Well indeed... a fair point

Is this a rhetorical question? (10 marks, use both sides of the paper and include details of daddy's KGB career if applying to Cambridge)

 

The nearest you will get to news in the Weald is "Man weds Sheep" , or My best friend ran off with my prised ewe, Other than that, it will be letters from Mr Angry of Salehurst, demoaning families with children, i' mean, how dare they, and why can't we send them up chimneys, beat the little buggers, then going on to say, he was beaten regularly as a child, and it did him no harm, if fact he now rather enjoys it

 

Demoaning?

 

Demeaning and bemoaning at the same time...?

 

Demoaning - a failed attempt at demeaning, which sounds like you’re just moaning?

 

This could have been the Robertsbridge charabanc.....



....but its going to eventually end up as the Eastern Counties Road Car open-top double decker after it arrived in Suffolk earlier this week........!

 

Considering this topic this sprung to mind

 

If you check the RVR blogspot there is a thank you message from Gardner Crawley [chairman of the Heritage Trust.

 

That says "the Inspector ... will write his report to the Secretary of State for Transport and anticipate his decision will be made around spring or summer of next year". Even if "his decision" refers to the SoS, and the Inspector's report is out well before then, it's still going to be a wait.

I've been keeping an eye on the "Documents Submitted during the Inquiry" section of the Inquiry Web-site, but I guess nothing more will show up there. Looking around the site, I looked in the "Decision announced" section of the Web-site, too see where/how other decisions had been announced, so we'd know what to expect to happen for the RVR one, but I couldn't find anything. So I guess any news will come via the RVR.

Noel

 

Summer can mean 20th September 2022. Note the use of 'around', reminding me of Roger Ford's Third Law – 'always mistrust schedules based on the seasons'.

Patrick

 

The Secretary of State's decision and the Inspector's report will most likely be published at the same time here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/twa-inspector-reports-and-decision-letters

Whatever the Inspector's recommendation the SoS may make a contrary decision if he wishes. His reasons would be stated in his decision letter.
I imagine the inspector will have a fairly firm idea of how long he needs to complete the report (after all he's being paid for it) although his timetable may be affected by other inquiries and issues he may be involved in. How long the SoS then needs to make up his mind is anybody's guess.

 

Gordon Bennet!! ..... this thread's looking increasingly like a gaggle of expectant sproggits round the foot of a Xmas tree. What's wrong with a modicum of decorum, chaps*?


* No, it's not sexist. Do we see any of our chapesses champimg at the bit? I think not!

 

But decorum is entirely inappropriate when there’s something this exciting to look forward to. Champing is far better. A modern and sensitive chap should also consider how much weeping & wailing might also be required in the event of an adverse decision.

 

Now who was it that said: 'Everything comes to those who wait'? (OK, it might have been my mother...)