CravenRail

The newsletter for members of SELRAP – the Skipton-East Rail Action Partnership

Issue 1 April 2003

So, you’ve joined The Skipton and East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership, SELRAP…….. What’s happening then?

To introduce our first newsletter for members, full support for the scheme. Mr Rankin went here’s a round-up of what we have achieved in further and looked forward to catching a train the past 18 months. As you are, no doubt, aware, from the town to Manchester airport. David the ultimate aim of the group is to see the re Curry, Skipton's MP and a patron of SELRAP, opening of the missing rail link between Skipton too, is keen to see the link restored. and Colne. Before this can happen, a great deal has to be done. In line with government policy on transport, A great deal has already been done. Formed in Craven District Council currently protects all its Summer 2001, the initial aim of SELRAP was, disused trackbeds from development that would and remains the preservation of the trackbed from prevent their eventual future re use as railways. development that would prevent its re use as a But the trackbed on the Lancashire side of the railway. border is not protected, hence plans to build the so called A56 villages bypass on the trackbed At SELRAP’s first public meeting, in Colne in from Colne to a point just short of Earby, where February 2002, 100 people heard that it is proposed to take a sweep round the town, re construction of the A56 village bypass over part joining the former railway a little to the north. of the trackbed was both County and Borough Having said that, while Lancashire CC owns most policy. At the same meeting, Gordon Prentice, of the trackbed within the county, a two mile Pendle's MP spoke of real reason to debate the stretch from Colne to the old county boundary need for a restored rail service along the route. just north of Foulridge remains in the hands of the British Rail Property Board (in residuary) – now a part of the Strategic Rail Authority. In May 2002 at the second packed public meeting, held in Skipton, the town’s mayor, Andrew Rankin, and the deputy leader of Craven District Council, Paul English, both declared their

Membership of SELRAP costs just £5.00 a year – write to Derek Jennings, 3, Hamilton Road, Carr Hill, Barrowford, Lancashire BB9 By6DE, October, enclosing Gordon cheque Prentice made was calling payable on to Lancashire CC to protect the trackbed and By By SELRAP – donations welcome!! By October, Gordon Prentice was calling on

Lancashire CC to protect the trackbed and reminding the authority that they had missed a Other work we have done in recent months golden opportunity by not including it in the includes a full study of the line by members, then-recently announced Ten year Joint Structure which highlighted the areas where restoring the Plan. At the same time Pendle’s Council railway might need further investigation. Executive heard that the A56 plan might well be getting close to being built. And the North West Later, several professionally-qualified members Regional Assembly had visions of an upgraded looked in detail at the way in which the railway A56 with extra lanes in rural parts. The villages could be re-joined to the national network at bypass was to be a through route to rival the Skipton, including how it would cross the town’s M62? western by-pass and the River Aire which runs close by.

These reports, and all of SELRAP’s press Third Public Meeting releases and other information, can be found on our web site, www.selrap.org.uk .

By December, support for SELRAP’s aims was appearing within Pendle council, and following a But we acknowledge that the main hurdle will be presentation by SELRAP, the Labour group of the crossing of Vivary Way, a busy dual councillors voted in favour of the rail route being carriageway which carries heavy traffic from the re instated. Then, at a third, and packed, public Eastern end of the M65 towards Colne. meeting that month, in Earby, those attending Constructed many years after the line was closed heard Pendle District Councillor David Whalley it cuts across the trackbed at rail level, a little to say just that. It has to be said that the meeting's the north of the end of the current branch line. A opening speaker, the chairman of Earby Parish practical plan for crossing it must be prepared if Council, spoke of the need for a bypass as well as the case for re opening is to be furthered. To this a rail route, but Gordon Prentice spoke end, in December 2002 three members of the passionately of the inevitable urbanisation of the group carried out an initial survey and prepared a transport corridor that would follow on the heels report. of a new road, which he strongly opposes. In early February 2003 a team from SELRAP met In the same month, the Strategic Rail Authority Paul Salvesen of the consultancy TR+IN and announced plans to spend almost £500,000 on an David Fanaroff of the Countryside Agency in upgrade of Burnley Central station. Situated just Leeds, where, our case for a re instated Skipton - five miles south west of Colne, the modern Colne line was well received. Paul, well-known facility will oversee a route that can only be for his work on re-opening railways and described as the withered end of a route to developing rural lines, is to launch a regional rail nowhere; until the link with Skipton is restored! re-opening report in April, (which was commissioned by the Countryside Agency) and That the people of Pendle do not regard their we hope a significant boost for SELRAP will railway as a serious transport option, a fact soon come from both the meeting and the launch largely reflected by the local council is of the report. unsurprising. That people in Skipton think quite the reverse is equally unsurprising as they take to Lack of space precludes me detailing, not least, their sleek, fast trains for a journey into Leeds, or work associated with the county Structure Plan, a through train to London. That the Aire valley pivotal with regard to transport in the region. corridor is a bustling, vibrant, confident community with national rail links to be proud of: that some might consider that the Burnley, Nelson, Colne corridor has less of these attributes might be regarded as significant

Efforts Pay Off Crossing Vivary Way

March saw a boost to SELRAP’s campaign in the The same month saw a further boost to the form of a decision by the Strategic Rail campaign. Modified platforms at Colne station, Authority. The SRA’s advisory group assessed gradient profiles suitable for heavy freight trains, the future transport potential of over 1,000 bridge clearance to allow for electrification as rail currently disused rail sites. The two mile stretch dives under road, regaining original level north of of trackbed immediately north of Colne, through Barrowford Road bridge. “Crossing the Vivary Foulridge, to the old county boundary a short Way is complex but possible”, stated a distance beyond is one of just 343 retained for professional civil engineer, and associate of possible transport use. This means that only the SELRAP, in his report following a survey of the stretch of trackbed north of the old county site. Commissioned following the encouraging boundary to the current North Yorkshire initial report by group members, in effect it boundary at Thornton in Craven, less than 5 of removes a major obstacle to the case for re the 11.5 mile route remains unprotected from opening. development! As you will see, a great deal has taken place since the group was inaugurated in summer 2001. Members have been quietly beavering away, approaching relevant parties and reporting their findings at meetings.

No Obstacle

Do you have the skills and / or experience to further the cause? Meetings are held alternately in Colne Library and Earby Community Centre. These are “doing” meetings

– we do not have a committee that sits and does all the work, instead, encouraging everyone to be a part; but you do have to be a membe-mailer to attend. [email protected] The next meetings are th th Colne, May 6 at 10.00am, and Earby, June 4 at 7.00pm. For more about SELRAP, see our website, www.selrap.org.uk , where you will find details of meetings, a subscription form and our recent reports in full.

Stop Press !

News just in: Lancashire and North Yorkshire County Coming hot on the heels of the recent SRA Councils are jointly funding a feasibility study into announcement concerning the two mile stretch of whether the Skipton – Colne railway line can, in the trackbed, north of Colne, the news is another startling long term, be re opened as part of the national reminder of just how much progress has been made network. To be conducted by one of the country’s by SELRAP since its inauguration not so long ago. leading railway transport consultancies, Steer Davies Gleave, the study is due to be completed later this spring.

Edited by: Andy Shackleton, Higher Park Farm, , Lancs., BB18 5TD. Tel. 01282 824358 See over page for Chairman’s report → e-mail: [email protected]

Chairman's report to the first SELRAP Annual General Meeting

Held on April 2, 2003 and covering the period to 31 December 2002

At the start of 2002 none of us involved with the Skipton - We have had three highly-successful public meetings, in East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership (SELRAP) would Colne, Skipton and Earby. The first and third were have dreamt just how much progress we would make in the addressed by Pendle's MP, Gordon Prentice, the one in year, and at times things have been moving so fast it has Skipton by leaders of the local councils, who supported us been hard for me, as chairman, to keep track! So firstly I totally. would just like to thank everyone in the group for their terrific work in support of the campaign, and I must also thank the And we have developed a high public profile: we have our many other people and bodies outside SELRAP that have, own web site, and a string of press releases and letters has and continue to, support our aims. meant our message has been seen regularly in the local and railway press. Indeed, it might be a good point to start this review for the AGM by recall just who supports us, for some say we have Of course we have miles and miles to go, and buoyed by our very little support success we are taking steps to expand our campaign by attracting new active members and more funds - and we will On the Yorkshire side of the boundary we have the also be striving hard to gather more support from politicians. unanimous support of Skipton Town Council, and the total We have a lot to do in 2003! support of Craven District Council. The MP for Skipton and Ripon, David Curry, also supports us fully, and is a Patron, Yes, it will be many years before the railway will be back - I as is Nigel Evans, MP for Ribble Valley. will personally be delighted if it happens before 2012, and yes, everyone has to agree, right up to the government, On the Lancashire side, we have support from members of before that can happen - studies have to be done, local, all three political parties on Pendle council, including the regional and national - even European - polices formed, and recent vote in support of our aims by the Labour group. funds agreed. Similarly we have support from many members of Parish councils, and while the local MP, Gordon Prentice, has yet Finally, to remind everyone of SELRAP's two aims - firstly to to fully support SELRAP, he has spoken out, not least at the have the former trackbed formally protected against ANY extremely successful public meeting we had in Earby just development, and then to see the railway restored: before Christmas, against the proposed road scheme. protecting the trackbed is totally in line with the government's policy, indeed it has directed all local It goes without saying we are backed by all the "pro-rail" and authorities that they should protect disused trackbeds in "green" campaign groups, including all the relevant rail user their areas. And as the government also wants to see the groups, both regional branches of Railfuture, Transport 2000 railway network expand, finances permitting, all SELRAP and the Campaign for the Protection of Rural , and wants is already government policy!! the North West office of the Rail Passenger Committee. Nationally, during 2002 the Strategic Rail Authority decided We take no view on the "villages by-pass", except to say to keep the stretch of the trackbed still in rail ownership that if it HAS to go ahead it should not affect the trackbed, under its wing, so that it can be brought back into use but I can say that if the trackbed is breached by any works, without additional complication, should that decision be it a house, an industrial building or a road, it will make it eventually be taken: I am told the even the highest in SRA is that much harder, and that much more expensive, to restore well aware of our presence! the rail link. I am sure many Pendle residents are looking forward to using the new by-pass, but if the railway cannot On the ground, we followed a fairly thorough study of the line be restored then it denies to the half of the Pendle adult and the problems there would be in restoring the railway, by population who do not have access to a car, let alone those a detailed report into one of the two major hurdles, the who prefer to travel by train, the ability to travel readily crossing under the Skipton western by-pass and then over beyond the district for work, leisure or education, FOR the near-by River Aire. A report into the other major hurdle, EVER!! crossing Vivary Way in Colne, is in hand.

Steve Broadbent, 35, Bromley Road, Bingley, BD16 4DA Tel:01274 569280 e-mail:[email protected]