SELRAP Skipton–East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership Briefing Paper – Autumn 2003 About SELRAP Formed in spring 2001, SELRAP – the Town Council. In August 2003, “Craven Skipton–East Lancashire Rail Action District Council will support and Partnership – is a volunteer group encourage the re-establishment of the campaigning for the re-instatement of the Skipton-East Lancashire railway” was railway line between Skipton (North adopted as part of CDC’s 2003-2007 Yorkshire) and Colne (Lancashire) – see Corporate Plan. map on page 3 – for passenger and freight In the Lancashire ‘half’, members of all use. SELRAP’s first aim is to ensure that the main political parties in Pendle until the railway can be re-built, the support SELRAP and restoration of the trackbed is protected from any railway was adopted as policy by the development which would preclude its Pendle Labour party in November 2002. future re-use as a railway. SELRAP is also strongly supported by the Countryside Agency as well as by all pro- The Skipton-Colne railway is seen as a railway and environmental pressure and major national and regional resource campaign groups. Restoration of the line which needs to be re-instated to provide was very positively featured in a report inter-regional and local rail services Railway re-openings: developing a regional accessible to all. It will also help take network, prepared for the Countryside heavy freight off the region’s roads. Agency’s Leeds office by the renowned SELRAP only fights FOR the railway: it does not, in itself, have a view on the More information about proposed “A56 Villages Bypass” from SELRAP, all our press releases Colne towards Skipton, which would use the railway trackbed for much of its route. and both our and the Two If this road has to go ahead, SELRAP says Counties’ Feasibility Reports it should be routed so as not to destroy can be seen on our website: the trackbed. www.selrap.org.uk Widespread support Transport Research and Information The Skipton-Colne line falls into two Network (TR+IN) consultancy based in English Regions, two counties (Lancashire Huddersfield, and launched in April 2003. and North Yorkshire) and two District Councils. In the North Yorkshire section, SELRAP has all-party political support at SELRAP’s aims are fully supported by Westminster and in the EC representing Craven District Council and by Skipton constituencies on both sides of the Campaigning to re-open the Skipton-Colne railway 1 Pennines: the Conservative Members of Parliament for Skipton and Ripon, David Skipton–Colne Curry, and for Ribble Valley, Nigel Evans, are Patrons of SELRAP, as is the Labour railway trackbed MP for Pendle, Gordon Prentice, while Liberal Democrat MEPs Diana Wallis and Key reasons for safeguarding this Chris Davies, representing the North West important national resource and Yorkshire and the Humber Regions in ++ The 11.5 miles between Skipton and Europe became Patrons in 2003. Colne is the missing link in what would In summer 2003, SELRAP undertook a otherwise be the lowest level trans-Pennine survey in and around Earby, and found rail route between. It is an alternative to the overwhelming support for re-opening the heavily graded and trafficked lines via railawy: parish councils alsong the line also Huddersfield and Halifax. Although under support our ideas. increasing threat, the trackbed is essentially intact and the railway could be restored at a relatively low cost: any further incursion About the line would destroy a resource of national value The railway from Skipton to Colne was and would be contrary to government policies. closed in early-1970, and the trackbed has remained virtually untouched ever since. ++ The line connects the cotton towns of Part of the western section, from the present north-east Lancashire (Nelson, Burnley, Lancashire-North Yorkshire county Colne, etc) to the more prosperous West Yorkshire area, and provides an alternative to boundary at Thornton-in-Craven to the pre- road transport for people visiting Skipton, the 1974 boundary at Foulridge (Lancashire Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Aire Ghyll), is owned by Lancashire County Valley from Lancashire and Manchester, and Council and is used extensively as a vice versa. This would make an important permissive footpath. The two-mile section contribution to sustainable development in north from Colne to Foulridge is still owned the nearby rural areas in North Yorkshire, by British Rail Property Board (in including those on the Grassington and residuary) – now a part of the Strategic Rail Bolton Abbey railway branch lines. Authority – which formally re-confirmed ++ Skipton–Colne re-opening would that ownership in March 2003. benefit residents and road users by providing an alternative to road transport with better The eastern (North Yorkshire) section, from air quality and fewer road accidents. It could Thornton to Skipton, is largely in private also contribute to a transfer of freight traffic hands, mainly the Tempest Estate. Craven from road to rail. District Council’s policy is to protect the ++ Development of Skipton–Colne would trackbed in this area against development. complement improvements between In the Lancashire section, the line runs Blackburn, Burnley and Colne, (being through attractive open countryside, but also studied by the East Lancashire Partnership serves small towns such as Earby. In the for Lancashire County Council) where the Yorkshire section, having passed close to the present train service in relation to population ‘picture postcard’ village of Thornton-in- is very poor when compared with similar Craven and the hamlet of Elslack, the line areas in West Yorkshire. Development of the whole Blackburn–Skipton corridor would passes through the Craven area, one of superb bring large and widespread economic, scenery. Colne, at one end of the line, is a regneration and social inclusion benefits to a former cotton town with very poor transport realtively poor area. links, especially by rail: at the other end, Skipton, the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales, is ++ A number of new travel opportunities a bustling and vibrant town with excellent rail would open up, eg Aire Valley–Lake District or Manchester–Yorkshire Dales. services. 2 The road proposal Lancashire County Council has proposed using the majority of the trackbed in its area – the exception is the short stretch through the village of Earby – for the “A56 Villages By-pass”. A small stretch of trackbed has been earmarked for the Thornton-in-Craven by-pass by North Yorkshire County Council. While the route is not yet fixed, the proposal would complete a high- speed road between the M6 at Preston and the eastern end of the A629 Bingley by-pass, north of Bradford. Our Feasibility Report In summer 2001 members of SELRAP reported as to the feasibility and possible costs of re-opening the line. Copies of the report are available by post (small donation welcome!), or are downloadable from our website – the addresses are on page 4 . The report concludes that the trackbed is in remarkably good condition and there have been very few incursions or breaches, with the exception of Vivary Way in Colne, the loss of bridges over the Leeds & Liverpool canal, the river Aire, and the A629 Skipton by-pass. In summer 2002 the group undertook a more detailed survey of the half-mile section between where the restored line would leave the existing railway just west of Skipton station and the western bank of the river Aire. This ‘Skipton Junction’ report, (also available by post or from the website) concludes that construction would be entirely straightforward and would be in line with the broader estimates of costs given in the Feasibility Report. SELRAP has also investigated ways the railway could cross Vivary Way in Colne and has concluded this would be feasible within present regulations: however, a more detailed and professional survey is needed to confirm the best option. SELRAP also supports the construction of a cycleway railway to Lancaster & and footpath alongside the Carlisle Skipton railway for as much of the railway junction to be created: station river Aire and Carleton- distance between Skipton Funkirk road to be bridged and Colne as would be Bridge over Elslack- practicable. Primrose Hill road Skipton by-pass to be rebuilt Elslack to be tunneled under or avoided by new alignment Thornton-in- Lancashire & Craven North Yorkshire railway to Lancashire Leeds & North Yorkshire Bradford, etc. Barnoldswick Earby level crossing CCs’ Study (A56 road) to be re-made Earby In March 2003 Lancashire and North Yorkshire County Councils contracted the Kelbrook N leading transport consult- ancy Steer Davies Gleave to carry out a feasibility study Foulridge into re-opening the line: the canal bridge over L&L consultant’s report, and canal to be replaced SELRAP’s press release in Vivary Way, Colne, to be crossed 0 1 2km response, are downloadable Colne Station from SELRAP’s website. existing railway to Burnley, Blackburn, In essence, SELRAP sees Manchester & Preston Showing the route of the rail link the report as being broadly between Skipton & Colne and the supportive of its campaign, key features along the line in that it confirms much of 3 what SELRAP said in its own studies and does not indicate any previously unknown issues. SELRAP looks forward to co-operating further with the counties, and with the East Lancashire Partnership, in developing ways of taking the rail proposals forward. In the meantime, SELRAP is preparing its submissions to the Lancashire Structure Plan hearings, scheduled for early-2004: SELRAP very much hopes that this will lead to the trackbed being protected from ANY development, so that rail schemes can be fully developed over the next few years, unaffected by other developments along the route. The benefits reopening the line would bring It is government policy that former railway trackbeds should be safeguarded against development, and this is expressed in Planning Policy Guidance Notes 12 and 13 and the Government’s White Paper on Transport.