Okehampton-Tavistock. Discussion on reopening and potential use as a diversionary route

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

I have been altered to Planning applicationTavistock 0425/17/FUL in the following away:

Sounds distinctly painful, Graham!

With thanks for spotting those almost inevitable typos by grahame, ChrisB, I've now amended his post (in view of his limited access). 

[Umberleigh]

Good to see plenty of objections.

On the one hand, I kind of see the arguments for this development. It's now fifty years since closure, a very long time. Indeed, there are now middle-aged citizens of Tavistock who have never so much as heard a Westcountry's whistle. Yes, there is a lot of talk, but look at the stagnation of the plan to reach the other side of Callington Road. How much longer should the landowners of Tavistock have to wait before they can build much needed housing? 75 years? The centenary of the former line's closure?

However, I have always been a supporter of the Okehampton link, and believe it would rejuvenate North West Devon, regardless of the future of Dawlish. A look at the map of Tavistock shows how few obstructions there are to this trackbed, allowing any more goes against any rational transport plan for this area. Moreover, at some point electrication will come to Devon, and hard choices will have to be made as I very much doubt the coastal route is suitable.

[grahame]

How much longer should the landowners of Tavistock have to wait before they can build much needed housing?

They shouldn't have to wait ... they should be allowed to build houses on sites that don't block rail revival potential. If Tavistock is anything like Melksham, there will be many, many alternative sites.  The SHLAA map for Tavistock is, I'm afraid, giving me a "404" as West Devon Council migrate to a new web site - but by way of example what they're likely to have potentially available look at the Melksham plans at http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/shlaa-appendix-3-melksham.pdf .

[Pb_devon]

A lengthy article today, with a summary of the current position of schemes.
http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/this-is-the-new-train-line-that-could-link-plymouth-with-london/story-30233238-detail/story.html

Though it does get off to a bad start...linking the Froome freight derailment with the Okehampton reopening!

[signalman]

Exeter - Okehampton

 £2 Million to run trains on Sundays and other days.

£8 Million to make it a fully functioning Branch Line. Ouch !

[RichardB]

Exeter - Okehampton

 £2 Million to run trains on Sundays and other days.

£8 Million to make it a fully functioning Branch Line. Ouch !

You're putting two and two together and making 87.  You're simply wrong.

[Tim]

They shouldn't have to wait ... they should be allowed to build houses on sites that don't block rail revival potential.

Even better than that, they should be encouraged to build houses that assist the case for rail revival, by providing homes for potential new rail customers. 

The Council themselves may of course have a vested interest in this potential revival.  Are their offices not blocking the route? 

[Red Squirrel]

Indeed they are:

(see Google Maps )

...though I seem to remember reading somewhere that they were not un-amenable to moving.

[Andy]

A lengthy article today, with a summary of the current position of schemes.
http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/this-is-the-new-train-line-that-could-link-plymouth-with-london/story-30233238-detail/story.html

Though it does get off to a bad start...linking the Froome freight derailment with the Okehampton reopening!

Not to mention the "fake news" that the recent Royal Oke had to be "scrapped" when neither the service nor the train was "scrapped".

It would seem folly to allow any further development on the trackbed of this line, with both reinstatement of the line to the outskirts of Tavistock and reinstatement of a regular Okehampton-Exeter service  moving forward. 

[TaplowGreen]

How much longer should the landowners of Tavistock have to wait before they can build much needed housing?

They shouldn't have to wait ... they should be allowed to build houses on sites that don't block rail revival potential. If Tavistock is anything like Melksham, there will be many, many alternative sites.  The SHLAA map for Tavistock is, I'm afraid, giving me a "404" as West Devon Council migrate to a new web site - but by way of example what they're likely to have potentially available look at the Melksham plans at http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/shlaa-appendix-3-melksham.pdf .

I'm afraid this reflects a very narrow viewpoint. The country needs new houses desperately. Not all sites are suitable or practical for housing development. I am all for a joined up approach with public transport (which incorporates more than trains of course) but to suggest that housing development should be blocked based on the "potential" (quantify that please) that one day in the distant future a railway line may be constructed in the area is unlikely to attract a lot of sympathy outside the circles of professional railway advocates.

[grahame]

I'm afraid this reflects a very narrow viewpoint.

Oops - quite the reverse was intended.

I can't speak to Tavistock specifics, but I have taken a significant look at my home town.   There's a considerable number of sites on offer for development, some of which are far more suitable than others.  Neighbourhood plans, and wider county and even national plans should be taken into account and where there's a supply of sites in excess of demand, an element of weight in the balancing decisions should be given to whether a development would block other things that might happen in the future.

I'm not going to put numbers to words like "might", "potential", "possible" and "probable", but I would look to joined up planning departments and specialists to take a balanced look at all the options and steer development in such as way that it's good for the community it'll serve, and for those passing through or past the community on longer journeys too.

Balance is difficult to write about in black and white - it's very much a grey area.

[johnneyw]

A plea for help. Does anybody know if there is going to be a service from Okehampton to Exeter during the last few days of April? I'll be down that way then and would love to add to the numbers.

[AMLAG]

Summer Sunday trains between Okehampton and Exeter ( four each way) start this year on 21 May.

[LiskeardRich]

The following poster is being plastered all over Okehampton in various locations, establishments.
Does anyone know anything official as I haven’t seen or heard anything.

[bradshaw]

This dates from May which might have a bearing

http://www.okehampton-today.co.uk/article.cfm?id=420560&headline=Okehampton%20to%20Exeter%20commuter%20train%20trials%20planned&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2017