20-08-23
Update 19-08-23
Thanks for getting back in tuch. Anyway, as I said in my earlier message, I have so far have had no response from the developers of Llangollen's Four Great Highways project. However, according to the recent update on their website the project has begun its tendering process to find a contractor to undertake the work. The Council also hopes to appoint a contractor by mid-September 2023 ready to start construction October 2023. A further public consultation will also be held soon to gather feedback on people's preferred design options for the new signage that is due to be installed as part of the project. However there seems to be some hope for the railway. Recently while checking the final designs for the steps, ramps and footpaths on the other side of Llangollen Dee Bridge, I have noticed the designs are quite different to the original proposed designs and they seem to have been re-designed to enable the railway to pass through in the future. This seems to suggest they have listened to us and taken the future railway proposal into consideration, but then again, I'm not entirely sure and we still need to keep our heads up. I have attached copies of the final designs to this message for you to see. The original designs can be seen in the attached PDF file from March and more details of the current designs can be seen in other PDF file. The current designs look hopeful so far for extending the railway but I will keep watch on their website just in case.
Llangollen Four Great Highways Threat Increased!
Remember this warning I posted on my Llangollen Railway petitions about the Four Great Highways threat on the East side of Llangollen bridge: https://www.change.
Dear Simon and Daniel,
Further to our previous e-mails to you, we are now making contact with you to confirm that the Four Great Highways project is not required to be submitted to the Local Planning Authority (LPA) and following advice from the LPA, the new ramp and steps within Lower Dee Mill Park will be included within the Permitted Development works together with the other improvements within the park.
We have noted your concerns relevant to the project and should a future reinstatement of a single track standard gauge mainline railway from Ruabon to Llangollen station be successful, our works will be included in any consideration by the railway along with the other developments within the area, including the Health Centre, apartments and car park. The attached image plots the former Llangollen to Ruabon railway alignment to show where it passes through Lower Dee Mill Park and beyond.
Once again many thanks for getting in touch and sharing your concerns with us. Your comments have been recorded with all other feedback received regarding this project.
Many thanks
All this is very serious and it needs countering as much as possible, including counting support of the local MP, to ensure that at least a 6 meter wide strip of land at railway trackbed level immediately along the back of the riverside wall is kept clear through the full length of the Project's footprint to allow for the future reinstatement of a single track mainline railway reinstatement from Llangollen to Ruabon.
As I stated to the developers, whiles I understand the advice from the local planning authority to feature the new ramp and steps within Lower Dee Mill Park with the other improvements within the area, the current design needs to be re-designed to ensure that at least a 6 metre wide strip of land at railway trackbed level immediately along the back of the riverside wall is kept clear through the full length of the Project's footprint to allow passive provision for the future reinstatement of a single-track mainline railway from Llangollen to Ruabon. A future reinstated railway being needed for the area as an environmentally friendly car-free green transport link is needed to help reduce road congestion in the Dee Valley, and to help fight the emerging world-wide Environmental Climate Crisis and effect of Adverse Climate Change.
The other thing which I've been able to research out is that all of the footprint of the former railway land to the east side of the town bridge actually sits within Llangollen Railway's current land Lease. Llangollen Railway's current Lease is Legally Binding with Denbighshire County Council, through terms Agreed with Llangollen Railway Trust Ltd's Solicitors, and runs for a term of 55 years from 2002 and therefore is in place until 2057. The Lease permits Llangollen Railway Trust to construct, maintain, and operate a Standard Gauge Railway within the footprint of all of the land that is shown edged Red in the attached UK Land Registry Lease Plan and as described in the attached UK Land Registry record. This is as Legally Agreed with the Railway's Solicitors and Denbighshire County Council in 2002. I have attached copies of these lease documents to this e-mail as proof for you to see.
Consequently, the Land Possession Rights which Llangollen Railway Trust Ltd have through their Lease to build, maintain, and operate a railway east of the town bridge, within the Red edged land footprint, means that Passive Provision needs to be reasonably made by the Four Great Highways Project to allow for the reinstatement of a railway within that Red edged land footprint. At the absolute very minimum, at least a 6 meter wide clear strip of land at former railway trackbed level along the back of the riverside wall needs to be protected, within which a single track Standard Gauge railway can then be reinstated through the town bridge as far as the eastern end of the Red edged land.
The google image which the developers have shown of the railway passing through the area (with the red line) is also largely incorrect. They are showing the railway going through the car park of Lower Dee Mill and through the middle of Bishop's Walk estate. The route actually goes behind the car park and the housing estate, therefore there is no problem getting the line past the estate (I have made a correction to the map with an orange line, which I have attached to this email). Although the original railway track bed East side of Llangollen Station has been encroached on there is still a suitably wide strip of land available hugging the riverbank along which a 'Deviation Railway' could be constructed to go beneath the roadside Council garden, and around the south side of the Lower Dee Mill Flats, the Cottages, the Bishop's Walk Housing Estate, and the Woodlands Health Centre to re-join the old railway track bed on the outskirts of the town and then run on to Trevor and Ruabon (I have attached some photographs to this message which reveal the suitable amount of space there is behind these buildings). The whole route from Llangollen to Ruabon was surveyed in the year 1999, and revisited again in 2006 and 2014, by Llangollen Railway, and the enclosed survey maps and documents I have attached to this e-mail reveal the inspections made at the time. Also, if you look at an article from the Daily Post 2 years ago (which I have also attached to this message), towards the end of the article it mentions the Ruabon to Llangollen route being among the Welsh government's future phase 2 railway reinstatements which are scheduled to take place between 2025 and 2035.
Restoring the Llangollen Railway over the 5 mile disused track bed Eastwards towards Trevor, for serving the nearby Pontcysyllte World Heritage Site visitor attraction, and onwards through back to the main line in Ruabon, and then eventually Westwards from Corwen towards Bala would greatly secure the long-term future and viability of the existing Llangollen Railway as well as significantly enhancing public transport into all of the local areas along the route in the Dee Valley and Vale of Edyrnion, re-connecting all the towns and villages giving local people and new housing developments much better access to the outside world, jobs, education, and also helping to bring in more tourists than possible by road to further boost the local economy. Therefore, the whole route, including the section on the Lower Dee Mill Park site needs to be safeguarded from development blockages to enable the future mainline reconnection.
Taking into consideration the UK Government's current "Restoring Your Railway" initiative in which they are seriously evaluating and supporting a 'Rolling Back Beeching" policy nationally as part of their strategy for providing people with an alternative to car travel in response to the deepening Worldwide Climate Change Crisis, it would be extremely negative to public perception if The Four Great Highways Project Team were to unfortunately appear to not be sharing an aligned Regional vision and outward thinking policy to help form part of the bigger National future picture. The outside world and future transport is now post Pandemic changing/having to change rapidly due to the Climate Change issue and it would be a travesty if the opportunity to reconnect Llangollen directly to the mainline rail network were to be lost forever at such a late date just before such connection is required again. Therefore, this is yet another reason why the whole route, including the section on the Lower Dee Mill Park needs to be safeguarded from encroachment by modern developments and other possible blight.
Please notify this threat immediately to all other members of ETRA and get them to e-mail all their local MPs and express their concerns to the Four Great Highways project managers by emailing them at this e-mail address: fourgreathighways@
Yours Sincerely,
Daniel Newton
daninewton1@live.co.uk
ERTA: Please give your support to the effort Daniel has started and write to your MP calling for "All I can do is loop others in and appeal to them to wade in and work with you to secure a better rail-based future.
Please keep in touch for these purposes. The route must be secured and protected. We need a government nationwide plan to protection of old routes and potential new-build/realignment lands and a nationwide plan for reopenings, rebuilds and select local, conventional rail solutions and new builds. You may find this organisation useful. http://thehregroup.
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