Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

How do new members now sign up, assuming you want some?

 

https://www.exmoor-associates.co.uk/contact/
New members ALWAYS welcome!

 

A new website is in preparation, at https://byvrt.org.uk, but in the meantime, email membership(a)byvrt.org.uk

 

Thank you! Both old websites are out of date, with the EA one apparently still looking for shareholders and the YVT one saying the only 'Members' are the trustees. No doubt the new website will resolve this

 

Thought the priority was to build the railway between Woody Bay and Blackmoor Gate which has the facility for a large car park. Then there could be a shuttle bus to the Lynton Cliff railway for any day trip tourists who want to go the full route. There is still a problem how to get through, or round, Paracombe.

 

That is the plan! I've just put a note into the footers on both sites!

 

That is the priority, but there are, as you say, a number of obstacles making that less easy to achieve: "The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley."

 

There are many potential different grants and awarding bodies for different aspects of heritage, the environment, economic regeneration, education and so on but hardly any will award a grant to purchase land. It might be possible to apply for funding to restore a structure or provide improved accessibility. Applying for grants takes a lot of time and effort with no certainty of success. Large value grants (say over £10k) typically require full business cases and supporting documentation which increases in proportion to the value of grant! If successful a project must then be delivered within a specified timescale, which also takes effort. For that reason most charities prioritise what and when to apply for grants. Raising funds to purchase land (and to secure & maintain it) is vital but I'd suggest looking at a range of imaginative fundraising options and incentives instead.

 

The new relationship between the two trusts is very much still being developed, so I'm not sure how you can really understand yet how it might work, but regardless, as I've said before, no part of the project can buy anything unless and until the landowner wants to sell it.

I can see absolutely no basis to that assertion. If that were the case, the southern section would have been completely secured 20 years ago.

 

I know I asked this before, a couple of months ago, but didn't receive a reply : Is it really necessary for the railway (either of the Trusts) to own all of the track-bed ? Given that this involves both capital expenditure and substantial legal fees, might it not be an option, where the current owner agrees, to lease some of the track-bed instead of buying it ? A long lease would protect the railway's interest but also give the farmer an extra income stream while enabling them to easily recover their land at little cost should the railway fail at sometime in the future. No capital outlay, very low legal costs, and no land transfer fees to set up. Win/win !

 

I must have missed this last time; the short answer is yes, it needs to. I was at Woody Bay the other weekend for the AGM, and I overheard the comment that the L&BR is the marmite project: you either love it or hate it.

 

Which doesn't actually answer my question at all ! Why does it need to ?
And what has Marmite got to do with the manner of obtaining track-bed?

 

No, it is not necessary, and if the circumstances dictate, that is always an option. In fact, the land on which Killington Lane Station is situated is leased from the farmer.

 

A lot of Paracombe residents are now against the railway, so in my opinion find a new route round Paracombe to get to Blackmoor Gate, but not straightforward.

 

Could you provide evidence for this claim please?

 

There is a small number of residents and landowners opposed to the railway, who seem to be getting other residents to agree with them.

Could the railway follow the A39 and bypass the town? I know has been debated before, but seems the best way to get to Blackmoor gate.

 

In short, No - The Local Plan safeguards the former route for the railway, it does not extend to a major deviation around the village. The Cricket Field Lane terminus extension failed because it was creating something new, rather than reinstating the former infrastructure.

 

Guess any local plan could be amended?.
https://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/future-plans
Has the results on the current consultation for an extension to Paracombe halt been published? But will be the next section beyond the halt, that will be problematic.

 

North Devon and Torridge District Councils are currently preparing a new Joint Local Plan to replace the previous plan adopted in October 2018.
The scoping and early engagement phases for the new 30-month plan-making process are now underway, leading toward a targeted adoption in July 2028.
https://www.northdevon.gov.uk/counc...ocal-plan/north-devon-and-torridge-local-plan