Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

Thanks very much for the quick response.

 

Axe will be taken out of service after hauling the Remembrance Day service train on Sunday 10th November. It will then undergo a complete overhaul after 16 years of service since the last overhaul.

 

The L&B website has published a response to the recent Parracome community engagement meetings. A lot of positive pointers to the future.
https://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/news/view/cricket-field-lane-proposal-engagement-summary

 

Noted, however:-

Q. Provision of (equivalent) Grampian Conditions
A. The Trust has no intention of piecemeal construction. We propose a programme of delivery whereby the development is split into sequential works packages. No work packages will be commenced until that work package is fully funded.

I note that the final sentence does not say ALL work packages are funded. The implication therefore is that the work will be done in stages ("sequential works packages") without the need to have all the funding on place at the start .

So...what if the work plan is to do A, then B, then C, then D etc, but once you have done A and B there is not enough money ready to do C, but there is enough to do D which is cheaper? Will they do D first, then come back to C, or if C is necessary in order to do then everything will come to a halt for a while? The Trust may have no intention of piecemeal construction, but it could end up like that in practice - I wonder what plans they have to avoid such a situation?

 

The L&B Trust has today published details of its latest planning application on the website. If successful, this should go a long way to protecting the valuable heritage carriage assets.

https://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/news/view/proposed-carriage-shelter-planning-application

(For convenience, it is possible to view the documents without having to download them, from the planning portal: https://planning.agileapplications.co.uk/exmoor/application-details/24964 - just scroll down to the documents section, then click on the "eye" icon against each document)

 

The latest video released by the L&BR titled 'Steam on the Moor Episode 7 - Caring for our heritage carriages' focusing on the railway's award-winning heritage carriage fleet and be viewed on the L&BR website at:
https://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/news/view/steam-on-the-moor-episode-7-caring-for-our-heritage-carriages

or directly on Youtube here:

 

It needed to be just a couple of minutes longer, to cover the proposed carriage shed. It finished, and I was expecting it to continue after the ads.

 

Very on brand then. Needing to be a little longer.

 

I see what you did there

 

Look at this!

Citizen Portal Planning - application details (agileapplications.co.uk)

 

If there are no objections (unlikely) or the application is approved despite any objections (uncertain but possible), where will the money to pay for all that work will come from?

 

Members are soon due the latest newsletter and magazine. I expect the plans and funding will be announced there.
Let's just hope the planning application is approved and we can finally move forwards and break out from Killington Lane. Let's get this section done, then think about what comes next.

 

I'd like to see that this application supports that breakout - I understand answers exist, but this doubting Thomas would like to see the evidence.

 

I see that the 'Proposed Site Plan' envisages the retention of KL platform and track. This seems to be the 'elephant in the room' that no-one talks about - what do they envisage for its future use and why?

 

Interesting question, although I'm not sure it's an elephant!
We need to keep Killington Lane in operation throughout the build (with Cricket Field Lane opening in 2029) and I guess we need the siding space for the foreseeable future. I know that KL needs to revert to farmland at some point, but I don't know if the CFL extension actually triggers that.

 

And even if it does... the reversion hardly needs new planning permission, does it?

 

I may have this wrong, but I thing the reversion is triggered by extending the railway. The precise definition of that I don’t know. Does that mean at the point of breaking ground or the point at which it is ready to use? Either way it is sensible to clarify by obtaining permission to retain. Doing so beyond opening of the extended railway also provides flexibility, and, bearing in mind that if the railway were to extend further south beyond CFL then KL would be required again as a temporary terminal as CFL terminus will have to be removed.

 

You first sentence reflects my understanding from way back with the original permission for KL. The second sentence reflects my view that the 'trigger' is undefined.

 

The planning decision notice for Killington Lane dated 5/12/2005 (planning ref 62/43/05/003) states:

The use of the Killington Lane site as a temporary station halt shall cease no later that 10 years from the date of this permission and all associated buildings and structures shall be removed from the site and thereafter the land shall revert to its previous condition.

At the Killington Lane site, all works, including the excavations, shall take place within Field Parcel 1100 and for the avoidance of doubt the boundary fence, the boundary vegetation and trees between Field Parcel 1100 and Field Parcels 2500/2079 shall not be removed or altered without the prior agreement in writing of the Local Planning Authority.

Assuming this deadline has been extended in subsequent applications, and that that can continue, it shouldn't be a major problem retaining KL until operations are well established at CFL