Pilning - the station, services, viability and closure of down platform - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[bradshaw]

Driving around the Culm valley the other day was a nightmare with the numerous potholes camouflaged as puddles in the rain. Slow progress in order to avoid them where possible!

[grahame]

Flagging up "on this day" - 7 years since the removal of the Pilning footbridge.

[Red Squirrel]

Where building happens should in part be guided by existing and proposed transport infrastructure. [...] Pilning station to the north of the city is surrounded by an area of green fields which is designated as greenbelt. It is an excellent example of where much more could be gained from existing transport infrastructure if development were allowed to happen. If 800 metres of land was released around this station, building on this land at 40 to 50 units per hectare would provide 7,500 to 9,500 new homes. Doing this around all stations within 45 minutes of central Bristol would provide an extra 55,200 homes.

Source: Ship shape? How the planning system is holding back Bristol’s economy, centreforcities

[grahame]

Where building happens should in part be guided by existing and proposed transport infrastructure. [...] Pilning station to the north of the city is surrounded by an area of green fields which is designated as greenbelt. It is an excellent example of where much more could be gained from existing transport infrastructure if development were allowed to happen. If 800 metres of land was released around this station, building on this land at 40 to 50 units per hectare would provide 7,500 to 9,500 new homes. Doing this around all stations within 45 minutes of central Bristol would provide an extra 55,200 homes.

Source: Ship shape? How the planning system is holding back Bristol’s economy, centreforcities

So that's roughly 20,000 residents (at 2.3 to 2.4 per home).  The 800 metre radius circle looks like:



P.S. - but is there any employment or road infrastructure anywhere near?

[grahame]

The 8 stations I picked out to map at http://www.passenger.chat/28888 were Narberth, Buckenham, Finstock, Pilning, Chetnole, Langwathby, Achnasellach and Swale (I think, it's a few days back and a lot has happened).

[JayMac]

P.S. - but is there any employment or road infrastructure anywhere near?

I think I can see a couple of rural lanes and the odd lock-up unit nearby.

[ChrisB]

That'll be the problem with Finstock too.

Better those go at Worcester Parkway (even more) or say Moreton-in-Marsh.

[grahame]

P.S. - but is there any employment or road infrastructure anywhere near?

I think I can see a couple of rural lanes and the odd lock-up unit nearby.

That'll be the problem with Finstock too.

Better those go at Worcester Parkway (even more) or say Moreton-in-Marsh.

I - err - wrote with a degree of sarcasm about Pilning there, Chris - the Severnside Industrial Park would neighbour the new housing to the south east, with its own special junction off the M49.

Now Chetnole is very much lanes, and Achnashellach is too far from just about everything!

Edit to correct my spelling - five mistakes in two sentence was bad even for me!

[Noggin]

Where building happens should in part be guided by existing and proposed transport infrastructure. [...] Pilning station to the north of the city is surrounded by an area of green fields which is designated as greenbelt. It is an excellent example of where much more could be gained from existing transport infrastructure if development were allowed to happen. If 800 metres of land was released around this station, building on this land at 40 to 50 units per hectare would provide 7,500 to 9,500 new homes. Doing this around all stations within 45 minutes of central Bristol would provide an extra 55,200 homes.

Source: Ship shape? How the planning system is holding back Bristol’s economy, centreforcities

Perhaps I'm being a pessimist, but not sure that building 9500 new homes around 22 feet above sea level would be the smartest move in the world.

By contrast, there's plenty of land between Yate/Chipping Sodbury/Coalpit Heath/Winterbourne and the M4 which would be be ideal for housing if the railway could  have another pair of tracks to enable a 15-minute service. 

[Chris from Nailsea]

Perhaps I'm being a pessimist, but not sure that building 9500 new homes around 22 feet above sea level would be the smartest move in the world.

Excellent point.  That's what's been pointed out to various developers who want to build more houses to the west and north of Nailsea.

It's lovely pasture in the summer, but in the winter much of it is under surface water. 

[grahame]

"On this day" flags up the opening of New Passage Pier on 8th September 1863, but the web site that hosted the original article is no more.  We do host (for members only due to copyright) a list of stations bypassed at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/mirror/bypass_stations.pdf which makes fascinating reading.

[johnneyw]

"On this day" flags up the opening of New Passage Pier on 8th September 1863, but the web site that hosted the original article is no more.  We do host (for members only due to copyright) a list of stations bypassed at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/mirror/bypass_stations.pdf which makes fascinating reading.

Bah, tapping the link brings up the message "file can't be downloaded securely" on my android phone.
If it's the New Passage pier at Severn Beach, as I believe it is, I'll actually be down that way later this month so might incorporate that into my stroll.

[grahame]

Bah, tapping the link brings up the message "file can't be downloaded securely" on my android phone.
If it's the New Passage pier at Severn Beach, as I believe it is, I'll actually be down that way later this month so might incorporate that into my stroll.

I am very much aware of http v https issues - what comes of being an 18 month project that's been running 18 years.  Much work underway but I beyond comments already made not saying anything more at present. The thing about R&D is that you don't know for sure if you'll succeed until you do!

[PhilWakely]

As a matter of interest, this was Pilning yesterday (7th September 2024). Picture and comment taken from a FB post by Ashford Clark and reproduced here with permission.