Oakamoor to Alton threat

[Admin]

This is a posting by Dave Westerman taken from the CVR discussion group site;-

The CVR board only became aware late on Saturday evening that Severn Trent Water had on 7th November commenced laying a sewerage pipe along the Oakamoor to Alton trackbed. This was with the approval of Staffordshire County Council and would appear to be contrary to the government directive on the preservation of old railway routes.

CVR company officials have during the last two days been almost constantly in communication with senior managers at both Staffs County Council and Severn Trent Water in an attempt to get the work stopped. Howard Self, the CVR Company Secretary, has officially protested to both Severn Trent Water and the Chief Executive of the County Council.

The response from Severn Trent today is that the work is going ahead and there is nothing we can do to stop it.

Although no plans for a possible extension south of Oakamoor have been formalised, the CVR board have had 'positive' meetings with Staffs County Council and Alton Towers on the subject during 2003 and 2004, with a view to extending the line to Alton Towers Station. A Park and Ride scheme to reduce local traffic had been discussed and the attitude of all parties had been constructive to the principal of future rail development.

It appears that this can now never be. If you live in the local area, you may wish to make your feelings known to your local County Council representative or even your Member of Parliament.

Anthony Hanthingy, Chairman of the Churnet Valley Railway stated that the Company would continue to do everything possible to stop the sewer installation and to persuade Staffordshire County Council to take responsibility for the remedial work which would be needed in future if the railway extends South to Alton. The company will be taking the matter up with MP's, the Department of Transport and the rail authorities as a matter of extreme urgency. We would ask all CVR shareholders and Railway members to support this protest and to make their feelings known to their MP or County Council representative.

This posting has been approved by the company secretary.

[Admin]

Interesting to compare this issue with the Festiniog Railways' battle under a similar situation;-

After having been derelict for nearly a decade, in 1954 a group of volunteers funded by Alan Pegler purchased the company to run it as a tourist attraction, and gradually restored the line to working order. This was not helped by a decision by the CEGB (Central Electricity Generating Board) in 1954 to build the Ffestiniog Pumped Storage Scheme, including the Tan y Grisiau reservoir (Llyn Ystradau), which flooded part of the northern end of the line. The Festiniog Railway Company was able to obtain compensation in 1972, after the second-longest legal battle in British legal history, having taken eighteen years and two months. Two years later, as a result of the case, the British Parliament passed the Land Occupancy Act 1973.

[Admin]

I wrote to my M.P. Mrs Charlotte Atkins on this issue and I am pleased to say she responded almost immediately with the promise to help. She said that she had received a number of e-mails on the same subject too.

Hopefully any action she takes will help us to secure some sort of compromise or assurance from Severn Trent Water.