March-Spalding 11th hour appeal

Dear Colleagues,

A recent housing application at Cowbit threatens to obliterate the trackbed of the former March-Spalding rail corridor which survived all closures of the 1960's until 1981. This rail link, with over 30 years of growth is needed now as never before with the benefits it would offer of:

1. Commuting/employment to/from Cambridge and Stansted Airport from South Lincolnshire

2. Inward visitorship, footfall and spend on the back of diverse access being improved

3. More passengers and freight by rail, de-cluttering local roads, cutting waste and costs which congestion without alternatives locks in.

For these reasons and more the English Regional Transport Association (ERTA) believes that we must tailor development around not on top of trackbeds. That a study should be commissioned to look at the benefits for the areas it would serve of railway reopening albeit with modest deviations where blockages have been allowed to encroach the old route. For example at the Spalding end, could a new freight depot at Deepening St Nicholas also double up as a spur access to and from the Doncaster-Spalding-Peterborough line given the old junction nearer Spalding is now under housing? Likewise at Whitemoor, the existing and campaigned for reopening March-Wisbech line could have a twin track set of points off of it onto the Spalding lines clearing the Prison which was built soon after closure on the old trackbed. 

The new duck and up flyover plan at Peterborough North is laudable but for freight to and from East Anglia to Doncaster and further afield it is a great way round, timely and uncompetitive surely contrast the option to restore the direct rail route for boosted benefits on and off the railway including more employment and sustainable jobs?

I would, on behalf of ERTA like to ask for your support for forming a consortium to pool resources and bid for funds for a full blown feasibility study and to ensure planning authorities tailor development and inform a new policy of trackbed and deviation space protection. That does not have to be dormancy amidst rising demand, rather could be green spaces, linear park, cycle-walk-way spaces which could be slewed or redesigned in the event of the railway being restored. With Brexit informing a context of uncertainty, surely it is prudent to keep our local, strategic options open in a competitive world?

I welcome your further kind interest. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Pill

ERTA Officer.

https://ertarail.com/english-regions/

Spalding Voice newspaper coverage 17-01-2019 - unsure where they get 'John' from when they knew it was 'Richard' likewise we stressed March-Spalding via Cowbit, so why throw in Wisbech on this occiaision?! Apart from that, good piece.

If people support this rail link you can do the following:
a. Join ERTA - see our website
b. write to South Holland District Council, South Holland District Council
Council Offices, Priory Road, Spalding, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
PE11 2XE
c. Write to local MP Sir John Hayes MP, Office 1, Broad Street Business Centre, 10 Broad Street, Spalding, PE11 1TB

Tel: 01775 711534, Fax: 01775 713905, Email: davieshm@parliament.uk

d. Write to letters page in support see Spalding Voice Newspaper www.spaldingvoice.co.uk
You may want a purist approach of every dot of old route, you may support a pragmatic stance of deviations to avoid conflict or you may just support the idea and principle and agree any railway is better than none and leave the detail to a study - which needs to be campaigned for:
- route protection
- deviation space like at Cowbit
- study
- pooling resources
- forming a consortium
- getting councils on board and other agencies/organisations
All needs a growing and dedicated team, ERTA is acting to bridge the gaps and forge that team, delegate and appoint area reps anbd get the show on the rails! Please join us and give it your support without qualification until is it happening, not being built on and then being academic even as roads clog up, land is lost and swathes of people are being socio-economically disenfranchised. Let's retain choice objectively for all.

We applaud this letter and thank the local MP for taking an interest.