Proposed GWML IEP depot at Stoke Gifford

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

Done. CfN. 

[anthony215]

Further bit of news on this although it is really anything new:

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Work-controversial-rail-depot-near-Parkway/story-15009978-detail/story.html

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Bristol Evening Post:

Railway activists back depot despite concerns

Rail campaigners and the Green Party have given their support to a controversial rail depot proposed to be built at Stoke Gifford.

They said the "vital" scheme would benefit the local economy by creating jobs and was crucial for the future of rail around Greater Bristol.
​
Hitachi Rail Europe wants to build the depot on the so-called Filton Triangle ^ a triangular piece of land formed by railway lines close to Bristol Parkway ^ with South Gloucestershire planners set to determine the application on Thursday.

The 44-acre site would be used for a main maintenance workshop, offices and stores, a train wash building, fuel storage, sidings, a wheel lathe building and accommodation for drivers and cleaners.

But more than 550 local people have signed a petition against the proposal. They fear they will be disturbed by round-the-clock working and are concerned about noise, dust, light and chemical pollution.

But Rob Dixon and Julie Boston of the Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FoSBR^» (Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways - site)) have joined Daniel Casey of the Greens and Dave Wood of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers)) to issue a statement urging backing for the depot.

They said: "It is understandable that local residents are concerned about the impact the depot will have on their lives. These issues must be dealt with by local politicians, who need to negotiate with the company to ensure that they are resolved.

"However, we believe that residents' concerns are mostly unfounded."

They said maintenance would be carried out indoors in soundproofed buildings and train movements outside the depot would be electrically-powered, removing the noise of engines.

They also said an existing earth mound between the site, the South Wales main line and adjacent houses provided a "natural sound barrier" and could be planted with trees.

The statement said: "One would imagine that the current background noise levels from nearby roads ^ Hatchet Road, the ring road, the M4 and M5 ^ and the planes that use Filton airfield night and day will be considerably higher than any noise from the proposed depot.

"Residents will also be used to overnight rail freight passing by their homes on the South Wales main line, which have done so for over a century.

"Environmentally, because the maintenance will be computer-based, there will be no concern of oil-based pollutants contaminating water courses. External lighting will also be kept to a minimum, particularly because of the procedures for safe driving of trains at night.

"We understand the Hitachi depot in Ashford has had no complaints about noise or light pollution, either before or after construction. The depot is surrounded by houses and residents see it as a positive development which has provided engineering work placements and apprenticeships. At a time of high youth unemployment this is positive.

"Bristol desperately needs new rail services. Without this, there can be only limited improvements to local services. Since new track is an expensive investment, it is only likely if there are sufficient rail movements to make it worthwhile."

The project forms part of the ^1-billion plan to electrify the railway between Bristol and London.

[centralman]

The depot has been approved by SG council.

Link - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-16834629

A proposed train depot on the Great Western main line near Bristol has been given planning approval by councillors.

Agility Trains wants to build the depot on land at Stoke Gifford, close to Bristol Parkway railway station.

More than 700 residents signed a petition against the plans and 60 written objections were lodged with South Gloucestershire Council.

Despite that, the authority's Development Control Committee voted in favour of the scheme.

Agility Trains said it hoped it would take between 18 and 24 months to build the depot on land, called the Stoke Gifford triangle.

Several railway lines cross at the site of the depot, which is on the route between Bristol and Cardiff.

The main building would accommodate two full-length trains at once and would also include offices and storage space.

Agility Trains said its studies showed the depot would not affect residents and that none of the statutory bodies had objected to the proposal.


Protesters said the depot would be too close to houses in Stoke Gifford
Andy Barr, from Hitachi Rail Europe, said: "I can understand the concerns but once the trains are parked you aren't going to know they are there.

"During the main part of the night there will be no work going on in the yard itself. It's more like a car park."

Mr Barr said repair work would be carried out in a sound-proofed maintenance shed.

Agility Trains won a contract to supply the Intercity Express Programme for the Department for Transport and is a partnership between construction company John Laing Projects and Hitachi Limited.