Selling off the familiy jewels

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May 23, 2012, 08:09:19 AM

Recommended service - hourly, according to the GWRUS. Let's work towards that service and towards ensuring all services are used.

7889 Posts in 5009 Topics by 97503 Members
Latest Member: ZVThomas

I understand that the BR residual body, which owns some of the land at Melksham station, has instructed Lambert Smith Hampton to sell off The section of land that's reserved in the local transport plan for a relocated Melksham Station and which provides in the Spencer Gate development for better access to the current station from the new housing.

Once this land is sold off, any hope of impoved access to the existing station via the new estate ... in which Bloor's are providing a stub to start the connection ... will be lost. Let alone a new station in the future. It's easy to sell off land that doesn't happen to be needed this year ... and MUCH more difficult to get it back if it's got houses on it!

I understand that sale is in London by Allsops at the end of October; the date I was given doesn't appear to be listed on their web site ... I'll be checking my data and following up much more in the near future.

West Wilts District Council have assured Melksham Town Council that even if sold on 31st October, the land that's set aside in the district plan for the new station and approach will REMAIN set aside for the new station and approach. In other words, it will not be easy (to put it mildly!) for anyone who puchase it to do anything at all with it ...

Thats very good news, it will be interesting to hear what happens on the 31st October

I understand that the land at Melksham Station has been withdrawn from the auction as a result of inputs to the property review panel of the BRB. This is after some very strong inputs and site visits.

Also worthy of note ...

* The length of roadway to be built new to join Spencer's Gate to the current road at the lane end beyond the station entrance is just a few yards
* "Relocating" Melksham station wouldn't be a relocation in the true sense - just extending the platform to take 4 coaches rather that 2 and shifting the entrance to the other end would do it ... and that's not expensive compared with a brand new site.

I think we 'locals' have been saying this for a while - now that some people with roles that lets them take decisions have taken the time to look on the ground, they appreciate it too.

A vote of thanks ... to everyone who's lobbied for this land to be retained within the railway sector ... and to the decison makers who were big enough to review the situation and reverse their original decision based on the additonal inputs they got.

With all the recent talk of Melksham station improvements (click on http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2436.msg5486#msg5486) I thought that now would be a good time to give you an update on Spencers Gate (click on http://www.bloorhomes.com/developments/wiltshire/spencers-gate/summary/99303.aspx)

As you enter Spencers Gate , you come to a roundabout. The road straight on is the stub to provide the connection to the length of roadway to be built to join Spencer's Gate to the current road at the lane end beyond the station entrance. This is currently fenced off at the end of the stub.

On the fence is a sign that tells you that Jephson Housing Association Group (click on http://www.jephson.org.uk/index.html) in association with West Wiltshire District Council , are delivering 41 affordable new homes for shared ownership or rent , with funding from the Office Of The Deputy Prime Minister. These either have been , or are being built by Bloor Homes.

You will find the Jephson homes to the right of the roundabout , some complete , and some "coming up from the ground." In addition to this , Jephson are negotiating to acquire some of the Bloor Homes to the left of the roundabout.

I would like to ask a favour as , much as I might like to , I cant be in Melksham all the time. Could a Save The Train supporter please visit the Spencers Gate site once a week , and make sure that no activity has started directly behind the fence that the stub leads to.

After all , we dont want anyone to "accidentally" build on the land set aside for Melksham station relocation , do we?

For an overview of the land adjacent to the existing station , click on the link below.
http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=269.msg716#msg716

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