Any news on Lynton & Barnstaple extension?

[davetheguard]

The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway has put in a planning application to get powers to extend the railway to Blackmore Gate & Wistlandpound Reservoir.

The application to North Devon Council was approved by them back in June; the application to Exmoor National Park was supposed to be announced in September. We are now well in to November; does anyone on here have any news on progress?

 

[Cowley]

Hi Davetheguard. I just spoke to my dad who's a retired chartered surveyor and also very interested in the L&B and he thinks that we're still waiting for news regarding the Exmoor national park application, it's quite a complex application so it's probably no surprise that it's behind schedule. Hope this helps.

 

[paul1609]

I don't have any up to date information on the application but I did share a table at an HRA dinner about a year ago with the Chairman of the L & B and I know they had to spend an astonishing six figure sum on the environmental report to support this application so its very complex indeed.

 

[DerekC]

Anyone who wants can see the application on the Exmoor National Park website. It went in in February and the planning committee report (which is very positive) was issued in May. However scanning through the objections, you can see that there are a number of powerful local NIMBYs working through a firm of solicitors - they are suggesting that ENP should not be allowed to determine this application because the railway extension is already on their 10-year plan - it should go to Ministers to decide.

The Exmoor National Park Authority discussed the application at their meeting on 3rd May. They seemed particularly interested in whether it would need an application under the Transport & Works Act . They decided to have a site visit, but then it drops off the radar - doesn't seem to have been discussed at any of their subsequent meetings. I think that all spells lawyer trouble. A few well funded NIMBYs can hold this sort of thing up for years and involve the other side in huge legal costs.

You need an update from the L&B team.

PS- I am not usually a pedant, but could we spell Barnstaple right!

 

[davetheguard]

Oops! Yes, indeed. Not sure how I managed to do that, and twice.

I'll take fifty lines.

I must spell Barnstaple correctly,
I must spell Barnstaple correctly,

 

[DerekC]

Oops! Yes, indeed. Not sure how I managed to do that, and twice.

I'll take fifty lines.

I must spell Barnstaple correctly,
I must spell Barnstaple correctly,

Two is just fine. You could blame your spellchecker - the American version in Massachusetts (now that was a challenge) is spelt with a "b".

 

[Calthrop]

Two is just fine. You could blame your spellchecker - the American version in Massachusetts (now that was a challenge) is spelt with a "b".

Those crazy Yanks -- there's another town in Massachusetts called Billerica (briefly, long ago, the terminus of a 2ft. gauge line): named after Billericay in Essex (emigrants from those parts, in the Pilgrim Fathers' time); but they somehow managed to lose the "y".

 

[Flying Phil]

Those crazy Yanks -- there's another town in Massachusetts called Billerica (briefly, long ago, the terminus of a 2ft. gauge line): named after Billericay in Essex (emigrants from those parts, in the Pilgrim Fathers' time); but they somehow managed to lose the "y".

Does that mean we should also be calling it Americay??

 

[Calthrop]

Does that mean we should also be calling it Americay??

It often gets called that in Irish songs; but they're another funny lot of so-and-so's, if you ask me ...