Our friends in The HRE Group - who are trying to stop Highways England needlessly infilling or demolishing 134 disused railway structures - have completed an initial appraisal of their value for future rail and active travel provision.
It’s a sorry tale. Infilling a bridge blocks the route below it, many of which are safeguarded under Local Development Plans in case they’re needed again. But Highways England is disreputably seeking to bypass inconvenient democratic process by driving through their schemes under Permitted Development powers that only apply in emergency situations. Needless to say, there is no emergency; it’s just a ruse.
We can’t let them get away with it. Why? Because Highways England is jeopardising the positive efforts of community groups to deliver a better normal after the pandemic. One thing’s clear from lockdown: fresh air and green space richly benefit our wellbeing and we need to connect more with them.
The HRE Group’s appraisal reveals that proposed active travel routes in Cornwall, Somerset, Berkshire/Oxfordshire, Northumberland and East Renfrewshire could all fail unless Highways England is successfully challenged. And yes, the Bradford-Halifax Greenway via Queensbury Tunnel is on the list too. Heritage line extensions in Angus, Cumbria and Norfolk would be impacted, together with possible railway reopenings in Cumbria, Ceredigion and Dorset.
So, if you haven’t done already, please support the campaign against Highways England’s destruction of our valuable heritage assets by signing the Group’s petition…
Thanks for your support.