Newsletter - October 2006

Two Tunnels Shared Path

Two Tunnels - a timely antidote to the Southgate Redevelopment!

At the time of our first newsletter just six months ago, we'd just opened two fronts on the campaign: repositioning this idea from its unenviable position as 'Too ambitious, too expensive, impractical and, anyway, unsafe' to 'A sound idea, attractive and achievable'.

Six months later, both the local authority and Sustrans are now working to bring this resource into being. While it may have seemed a bit quiet at times over the summer, we've been laying foundations and establishing a network of contacts to support this gaol.

There may not be as much awareness of our plans in the wider area as we would like (yet), but decision makers and key figures in the local authority and other organisations are now well aware of us, and the majority are supportive. We now need to work up awareness and support from individuals and community groups - this will ensure the fundraising gets the support it needs.

We've also organised a guided walk the length of the path for the public, (and there's another this weekend - meet 10am, 28/10, at the 'Royal Oak' public house). We also staged a memorable open evening at Two Tunnels Headquarters: aka the Raven public house, in Bath.

Better than that, we've seen the first of series of landmark events for the path. For the first time since the original railway closed, the local authority is beginning to undertake planning to give the the entire line between Bath and Midford a coherent and attractive future. To secure this process, it's been gratifying to see a steady increase in members for our support group. Below is a plot of membership of our support group to the present day. Some of you may remember that we moved our support group from Google to Yahoo, and the red line on the graph marks the original Google Group's final membership of 261 people. Please, everyone recruit a friend and put that curve on a steeper gradient. And I'll email the Google group one last time ...

Bringing the path into being

As is often the case, the actual construction is the easy part, especially in this case with much of the hard work already in place. It's useful to look at the stages involved:

The Idea

We have that. In fact, people have been having this idea since the line closed, so hats off to our predecessors. Between 1966 and early 1973, the entire section was in use as an 'Unofficial shared use path' - a use that continued between Lyncombe Vale and Midford into the nineteen eighties - and at the Midford end created the present day right of way between Tucking Mill Viaduct and Midford itself.

The Community Support Group

We have that. Take a bow, all 151 153 of you. After which, please go and find some more members. It's valuable to make contact with other community groups. This is particularly relevant, as success for the Sustrans lottery bid, one of our main funding options, will hinge on votes from individuals the length of the UK - and we'd hope that Bath and North East Somerset will contribute a good few thousand to the vote itself.

Consultation

We've had a bit of that, and we'll have some more, to ensure the success of the planning application, shaping the path into the form it will take to meet the needs of its neighbours.

Commitment, both institutional and community

We have the institutional commitment:

• Bath and North East Somerset Council, who commit to the path on their web site and is taking a proactive stance towards it.
• Sustrans, who have undertaken the feasibility study. Our growing membership indicates that there is community support for this idea.

We also need to build support for the path - to ensure its planning application is secure. In particular, before such a path opens, there tends to be apprehension about security issues and a host of other items. Much can be done when problems are 'Designed out' at the planning stage.

The feasibility Study

This is under way, kindly funded to the tune of £5000 by Bath and North East Somerset Council. The resulting study is in process of being circulated round various council departments, who are briefed to report back in time for the next quarterly meeting between the three bodies involved in the path, in early December.

The planning application

This is where the democratic process involves itself in the path, with detailed plans examined in a public forum - the path can be rejected outright if it does not meet the needs of the community it will serve. Bath and North East Somerset Council will work up the feasibility study into a single planning application for the entire route. The intention is to build the route in a single operation, both for the sake of economy of scale, and because its nature implies that its success is more certain if people use it from the start - both the urban and the tunnel sections will benefit from being regarded immediately as having a purpose, being part of the landscape, 'just another path'. For that reason it's not thought desirable to open the path on a piecemeal basis.

Identification of funding

This is under way. The path's cost is currently estimated at a million and a half pounds. One possible funding source is the national lottery, and Sustrans have several bids in which if successful will secure funds for the Two Tunnels project - see below. However, it's desirable not to have a single source of funding for the path, as that exposes it to unneccessary risk.

Land Negotiations

The land and structures for the path with two exceptions are no longer in railway ownership. The route's assets now owned by three institutional landowners and at least three individuals. This is another area of risk for timely construction of the path. The wayleaves for paths such as this can be agreed by negotiation with landowners, and occasionally the land physically changes hands in the process, though this is not necessary. This negotiation is under way, Sustrans have already secured an agreement for the first of the railway owned structures - the bridge over the present day railway at Bellotts Road which will join two currently disconnected portions of Linear Park.

Path construction

We'd hope that throughout, construction can involve a 'Light touch' rather than wholesale change to existing features.

Timescale

Three years is felt to be achieveable given commitment from all parties.

Meetings and structures

To create the path, we've the following:

The support group

Yourselves, with a mailing list to exchange ideas and feedback.

The committee

Half a dozen individuals who meet monthly to progress the path.

The working group

A formal group consisting of representatives from Sustrans, from Bath and North East Somerset Council, and from the Two Tunnels committee. This meets quarterly - again, our web site carries the minutes from this group, which has met twice and will meet next in early December, when we've been informed by Sustrans that their chief executive John Grimshaw will be attending in person.

August 1st Working Party

This was a familiarisation walk the length of the route for the organisations involved in the path. It was well supported, with three councillors as well as four council officers, the founder and chief executive of Sustrans + assistant, as well as committee members and other individuals. It was an opportunity to gather the feedback that has shaped the resulting feasibility study.

While the working party tour finished at Midford, this is not the destination for the majority of future users of the path, who will continue on route NCN 24, or using footpaths and lanes to explore the two valleys of the Cam and Wellow brooks, both of which contain relics of local industries whether mining, mineral extraction or transport. Some travellers will head for Radstock's museum and cafe. Others will head the other way, perhaps to Bath City Centre, or simply a local journey to the shops on Oldfield Park's Moorland Road.

The feasibility Study

This is a work in progress, but we have already seen some of its output. Starting at the Bath end of the route, the study will likely include the following:

Linear Park

It's proposed that this won't see great change in visual appearance, and will remain a 'Black tarmac free area'. Underfoot, it will gain an all-weather surface of similar appearance to the existing path, to make it easier to use whatever the weather, but the 'Wildness' will be purposely maintained.

The present park is discontinuous - this will be addressed by bridges taking the path across the two roads, and returning the existing bridge across the main line railway to use. The new bridges' supports will be needle piles at either end of the spans.

Access to Linear Park will be much improved with additional and more user-friendly routes connecting Linear Park and the surrounding streets, and Oldfield Park Station. All this will make Linear Park easier to access, especially for people with pushchairs or wheelchairs. Oldfield Park's councillors are seeking feedback on the Two Tunnels proposal on their blogging web site. (Scroll down to items dated September 11th)

Devonshire Tunnel's filled cutting

The current proposal is to excavate the existing portal and then take the path up a gently graded ramp and over much of the cutting's fill - some of which will be moved around a bit to accommodate the path.

The Tunnels

Conversion to path use will involve similar works to those carried out on other tunnels. Alternatives to filling in the workers refuges include uplighting them and casting a sloping floor within the refuges to render them less useable for supposedly nefarious purposes.

It's possible to deliver power to light a tunnel of this nature by way of a fine borehole from the surface and this may be one option for Combe Down - the actual borehole itself being not particularly expensive in terms of the overall cost of this project. Also called for will be bat mitigation works.

Lyncombe Vale

The existing wild appearance of the line retained, the path surfaced, structures made good.

Tucking Mill Viaduct

Its condition does not give great cause for concern, some ballast removed from its deck would minimise the amount of rebuilding work needed to its parapets. The path may be carried at the centre of the lowered trackbed across the double track viaduct.

Tucking Mill to Midford

One option is to retain current vegetation and plant other trees to screen the path completely. It's actually quite difficult to make the path out from any distance as it is, while Tucking Mill Viaduct and surroundings are notoriously difficult to photograph, being so surrounded by trees.

Sustrans Lottery Bid - More Details

One of Sustrans' current bid, titled 'Connect2' is for a substantial sum from a 'Big Lottery' bid - Sustrans proposes funding a series of short links across the UK, joining communities currently severed by accidents of geography among other things.

On foot or cycle, Combe Down can be regarded as one of these, and Sustrans regards the 'Two Tunnels' route as one excellent candidate for the proceeds of the bid if successful. The Sustrans bid itself has cleared several hurdles, and is now down to one of half a dozen. The bid will be decided by public vote after TV coverage in 2007, so you can see that a high level of public awareness will be important to us at that time.

This is Bath and North East Somerset's chance to land a portion of a £50 million lottery grant, we are hoping that the local media, businesses and the local authority will all work to raise awareness of the project over the coming months.

Committee Visit to the Strawberry Line path

The Strawberry Line is a footpath and emerging shared use path running between Yatton Station, Axbridge and Cheddar. An extension is planned to Wells. Several members of the Two Tunnels committee were given a tour of the path in mid October by the project officer, Andy Mallender.

Highlights included the improvements made to what was a narrow footpath following the route, and an appreciation of the benefits that that brought to neighbours of the path itself. Winscombe station, bereft of its building which curiously resembled the surviving Toddington station on the Gloucester Warwickshire Railway, has been turned into a semi wild yet tidy recreational area for the village. The adjacent railway bridge, saved for posterity, carries the path above the main road and acts as traffic calming below.

Also included was practical experience of various generations of barriers designed to keep motorised vehicles off the path, which has itself been in existence for many years - and this was followed by an account of the (very permanent) removal of two miniature motorbikes from the scene, as a result of some community action. Lastly, the Strawberry Line has a tunnel, which has recently received low level LED lighting, and while we weren't able to see this in action as it isn't commissioned yet, it was good to see an installation of the sort of lighting that may be suitable for our tunnels.

The Strawberry Line has a local support group, who have campaigned for the reuse of the line since the nineteen seventies.

Appeal for Images

A visit to our web site inspired a Bath resident to produce this image for us, showing Lyncombe Vale from the unusual vantage point of a house on Greenway Lane. The photo is believed to have been taken during the second world war. Select the image for a larger version. If you have an old photo of the line and can bring it to us, we'd love to put it on the site.

Conclusion

We need awareness, and supporters, so please go on a recruitment campaign, discuss this idea, publicise it. Point people at our web site, dig some of our new leaflets out of us (The ink is nearly dry.) If you've an employer, publicise the path to them - their support is valuable to us and they may be willing to help in various ways.

Postscript

Congratulations to the Mendip Main Line people at Midsomer Norton, who having opened a cafe there, have begun the great escape from the confines of the Midsomer Norton station site. Trains in 2007 ...

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