No support for the More Train Less Strain group from the people that matter!

[whole diary]

[Lee]

They'll have to do their protesting on Dorchester Street, as they will not be allowed on the forecourt of the station I am glad to say. Anyone found handing out leaflets on railway property will be evicted. (ticket in possesion or not!)

That would be interesting if applied as a general rule. What's the definition of "railway property" at (say) Bristol Temple Meads or Melksham?

[grahame]

They'll have to do their protesting on Dorchester Street, as they will not be allowed on the forecourt of the station I am glad to say. Anyone found handing out leaflets on railway property will be evicted. (ticket in possesion or not!)

That would be interesting if applied as a general rule. What's the definition of "railway property" at (say) Bristol Temple Meads or Melksham?

Now that definition at Melksham is an interesting one ... the platform to the gate is Network Rail property, outside the gate it's (I think) BRB^‡(resolve) Residuary, and a roadway over which free access is allowed to all the businesses who rent property from the BRB.

If the BRB land is NOT considered railway property, then leaflets may be handed out just outside the gate.  If it IS considered railway property, then an employee of the tyre company handing out leaflets to motorist coming in to have their tyres changed would be evicted if found!

[Lee]

This Save The Train Forum archive quote might help:

Here are further details of the land owned by BRB^‡(resolve) (Residuary) at Melksham station site (link below.)
http://www.brb.gov.uk/property/property_listings?keyword=Melksham

Novacast - Based in the section that includes what was originally the former Longreen shed & Spillers Flour Warehouse.
AL King & VW Audi - Based in the section that was the former Oil Depot. The rough green road adjacent to them is also BRB owned.

The above land covers roughly three - quarters of the station site.

Land on the station site not owned by BRB :

MCC - Was originally Melksham Motor Sales (then owned by a Mr Silvester) and was there prior to the 1966 station closure.

Melksham Tyre Supplies - Opened in 1970 and built into part of the original station platform.

Many thanks to MCC & Melksham Tyre Supplies for providing the above information.

Just out of interest, who owns the car parking spaces?

[Timmer]

Report on today's protest by MTLS^▸ (More Train Less Strain) and judging by the picture on the report they were handing out leaflets on the station forecourt:
http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/news/Leaflet-protest-Bath-station-ramp/article-625149-detail/article.html

[Tim]

It was obvious such a low-key protest that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) sensibly decided it wasn't worth making a fuss over.  The whole protest puzzles me.  There are much more important things happening in the world and much more important railway issues than a ramp at Bath Spa.  I'm quite looking forward to the revamp of the "transport Plaza" myself

[Btline]

It was obvious such a low-key protest that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) sensibly decided it wasn't worth making a fuss over.  The whole protest puzzles me.  There are much more important things happening in the world and much more important railway issues than a ramp at Bath Spa.  I'm quite looking forward to the revamp of the "transport Plaza" myself

Quite agree.

[devon_metro]

I look forward to the day I travel through Bath and its not a building site!

[Tim]

I look forward to the day I travel through Bath and its not a building site!

I suspect you'll have to wait a little longer for that wish to come true seeing as they haven't even started on the "transport Plaza"

[Chris from Nailsea]

Yes ... unfortunately, devon_metro, things aren't looking too good:

A number of development schemes in Bath have been halted because of the recession.

Developer Crest Nicholson says the Western Riverside project faces delays until the economy starts growing again and the housing market stabilises.

The City of Bath College's ^68m expansion plans have also been suspended because of a lack of money.

And chef Raymond Blanc has postponed his proposals to open a new restaurant in the old Quaker Meeting House.

See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/7857628.stm 

[Timmer]

Yes ... unfortunately, devon_metro, things aren't looking too good:

A number of development schemes in Bath have been halted because of the recession.

Developer Crest Nicholson says the Western Riverside project faces delays until the economy starts growing again and the housing market stabilises.

The City of Bath College's ^68m expansion plans have also been suspended because of a lack of money.

And chef Raymond Blanc has postponed his proposals to open a new restaurant in the old Quaker Meeting House.

See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/7857628.stm 

Indeed, as someone who lives in Bath today has not been a good day. If anyone knows where the Western Riverside project is, or maybe was, to be built will know what i'm talking about...A lot of former factory wasteland the former gassworks!