| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
17th June 2008 - start of Westbury Bypass publilc enquiry - 6136/10532 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Tuesday, 4th March 2008 The public enquiry into the proposed Westbury Bypass starts on 17th June and is expected to last for 6 weeks. Re: 17th June 2008 - start of Westbut Bypass publilc enquiry - 6136/10605 Written by Lee on Friday, 7th March 2008 Wiltshire Times article link. http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/latestheadlines/display.var.2093457.0.new_date_for_35m_bypass_inquiry.php Re: 17th June 2008 - start of Westbury Bypass publilc enquiry - 6136/11179 Written by Sion Bretton on Sunday, 30th March 2008 Where will this take place? Re: 17th June 2008 - start of Westbury Bypass publilc enquiry - 6136/11206 Written by Pete on Monday, 31st March 2008 [quote author=Sion Bretton link=topic=6136.msg11179#msg11179 date=1206864731] Where will this take place? [/quote] [color=Blue]The Laverton Hall, Bratton Road, Westbury. Pete[/color] Re: 17th June 2008 - start of Westbury Bypass public enquiry - 6136/11212 Written by Sion Bretton on Monday, 31st March 2008 Thanks Pete for letting us know not just the date but the venue as well. Sion Re: 17th June 2008 - start of Westbury Bypass publilc enquiry - 6136/11215 Written by Pete on Monday, 31st March 2008 [color=Blue]I'm surprised Graham didn't say, he is one of the witnesses for the White Horse Alliance! Pete[/color] Re: 17th June 2008 - start of Westbury Bypass publilc enquiry - 6136/11256 Written by John on Wednesday, 2nd April 2008 The letter which I have from the Planning Inspectorate to say that the inquiry will open at the Laverton in Westbury is dated 12 March. Re: 17th June 2008 - start of Westbury Bypass publilc enquiry - 6136/11261 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Wednesday, 2nd April 2008 Many people ask me about our campaign for an appropriate train service across Wiltshire, and I'm happy to go through it for them. That information is largely in the public domain and I don't know where it has gone - if I do a radio interview or get mentioned in the newspaper, chances are that quite a few people hear it or read it. And should anyone invite me to go through it more fully and seriously with the intent of coming out with the best solution for linking Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Frome, Warminster and Salisbury by public transport, then I will do so if I can. It is likely that the issue will come up in this way at this public enquiry, seeing as the proposed road is along the same corridor as the railway. Hope that clarifies it for Pete. And, John, you're right in that all I could have given you about the venue at the start of this thread was a poorly educated guess, and there seemed no point in such speculation. Re: 17th June 2008 - start of Westbury Bypass publilc enquiry - 6136/11267 Written by Pete on Thursday, 3rd April 2008 [color=Blue]That's fine Graham, I have no problem with what you are saying. I'm using the Westbury-Bristol TM train service at the moment which is definately in need of major revamping. It's just a pity that no-one from the Westbury Bypass Alliance has the same courage to stand as a witness. Pete[/color] Re: 17th June 2008 - start of Westbury Bypass publilc enquiry - 6136/11272 Written by John on Thursday, 3rd April 2008 Graham, I know that you have attempted to bring Wiltshire County Council in on supporting our railway. I saw WCC representatives at a Save the Train meeting at your place in Melksham. There is an overwhelming case to be made for investing in our railway system. It is also fairly obvious (despite some backward feet-dragging now) that this is the way of the future. I was in hospital at the time of the Westbury Bypass Pre-Inquiry Meeting on 3 March, but I was sent the official notes and I can see that the White Horse Alliance (of which the Westbury Bypass Alliance is part) actually appears to have been ahead of everyone else in putting up a list of provisional witnesses. Re: 17th June 2008 - start of Westbury Bypass publilc enquiry - 6136/12680 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Tuesday, 15th July 2008 Last night was the (only) evening session of the enquiry, and I went along. My report: http://www.wellho.net/mouth/1710_At-the-Westbury-Bypass-Enquiry.html It seems that some changes in the traffic evidence put by the County Council mean that the enquiry will be adjourned for a few weeks to give everyone a chance to look at the new data, and it will resume briefly at the end of August or beginning of September. I spoke for a couple of minutes - putting the point that much of the long distance traffic, both freight and passenger, could go through on a perfectly good railway that's there and which could be given extra capaicty without major earthworks. I encouraged the inspectors (not that they can!) to see the merit of a road that's not quite so heavily engineered and likely to draw traffic into the area like a sponge, to the detriment of the rest of the A350 and the road south to Salisbury ... and add a planning condition to require the county to provide rail improvements to encourage longer distance traffic off the roads altogether. "Funny" thing ... for all the opposing strong views expressed during the evening, I was approached afterwards by speakers from both sides of the argument who said what an excellentg suggestion this was. link to index of articles |
|||
Save the Train was the campaign to bring an approriate train service back to and through Melksham. Most big contributors are still around writing at the Coffee shop forum where new members are very welcome. The train has been saved - sort of - we have stepped back up from an unusable service to a poorish one but it's doing very well. We did that through setting up the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership. That fulfilled its early objectives; it has been taken over by local and regional government types who are now doing medium and long term work. The team from this forun can also be found at the Melksham Rail User Group (which was the Melksham Rail Development Group at the time these articles were written and we had no users. We mustn't loose sight, though, that the train service remains poor and needs our community support in marketing and campaigning to keep it going in a positive direction ... and all the more so when we're expecting to find a different normallity once we get out of the Coronavirus Pandemic and head for zero carbon via the climate crisis. Yes, it's saved ... it's now a key community facility ... the need for enhancement and the strong and near-universal local support remain, and the rail industry and goverment remain slow to move and provide the enhancements even to level us up with other towns. Please support the Melksham Rail User Group - now very much in partnership rather than protest with the rail industry and local government, including GWR, TransWilts and unitary and town councils. And please use the trains and buses, and cycle and walk when you can. -- Graham Ellis, (webmaster), February 2021 | |||
|
|||
Further Information:
Home
Current Summary
Daily update
User forum
Consultation
Service now
Service future
Future Analysis
Recent Statistics
Recent letters
Letter to DfT
Save the train
Presentation
Support us
Other Maps
Station facilities
Station approach
Pictures
Trains diverted
History
About Melksham
Site Map
About this site