Can somebody please tell me who i need to ask for permission to film on the part of the defunct stoke-leek line near stockton brooks?

[FilmStudent]

I am currently exchanging emails with staffs moorland council, and national rail west midlands and no one can seem to give me an answer.

Edit: Forgive me, i was also told to speak to network rail and they can not tell me either.

 

[zuriblue]

Looking at this as it’s a closed line maybe you need to speak to the Highways Agency, they’ve got a department dealing with the historical railway estate.

BRB (Residuary) Limited - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Website shows a Wikipedia page dealing with the former BRB (residuary) that dealt with the former railway assets up to privatization.

• Highways Agency Historical Railways Estate

The Highways Agency Historical Railways Estate is now responsible for the Historical Railways Estate (formerly known as the Burdensome Estate). This includes legacy bridges, abutments, tunnels, cuttings, viaducts and similar properties associated with closed railway lines.

 

[etr221]

As a dismantled railway, the trackbed probably went to BRB (Residuary) Ltd, but - see https://www.gov.uk/government/news/brb-residuary-ltd-has-been-abolished - they are no more - I suspect it is now with Highways England Historical Railways Estate - web site I quoted has contact details, or it quotes a DfT helpline as a backstop. The other people who might be able to help are the Churnet Valley Railway: I don't know if their interest extands that far.

 

[FilmStudent]

i will get back to you as far as contacting them goes. Appreciated.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There are web pages to the effect that the trackbed from Stoke to Leekbrook Jn was bought by Moorlands and City Railway with the intention to reinstate the line to Leek and Caldon Quarry.
An address in Keele is shown, but also a suggestion that the entity does not exist.
I would agree the Churnet Valley Railway should know the true state of ownership, as they would be impacted by any reopening plans.

 

[FilmStudent]

The railways estate denied ownership, but helpfully gave me the land registry code. And using that there doesnt seem to be an owner as far as i can tell? If you are curious SF689271 in the land registry code.

There are web pages to the effect that the trackbed from Stoke to Leekbrook Jn was bought by Moorlands and City Railway with the intention to reinstate the line to Leek and Caldon Quarry.
An address in Keele is shown, but also a suggestion that the entity does not exist.
I would agree the Churnet Valley Railway should know the true state of ownership, as they would be impacted by any reopening plans.

 

[randyrippley]

Moorlands and City Railway is a limited company and still extant.
Details are on the companies house website at

MOORLAND & CITY RAILWAYS LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK

MOORLAND & CITY RAILWAYS LIMITED - Free company information from Companies House including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity

find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk

Registered office address
The Keele Centre Three Mile Lane, Keele, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 5HH (no phone number listed on the site)

Sole director is a David Ronald Kemp, described as a property developer and was previously on the Churnet Valley Railway board

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Stoke to Endon was to be leased by one of the David Kemp companies, my recollection is that the lease did not proceed, so the land remains the responsibility of Network Rail, as an operational (mothballed in the Sectional Appendix) line.

In support of this:
There was an application for 'village green status' on part of the line just before Endon Station. Network Rail dealt with that and had it dismissed.
There was a planning application (SMD/2019/0077) to b uild houses on land adjacent to Endon Station. Network Rail objected to that application as it was on their land. An already built access track was removed (visible on historic Google Streetviews). Their land reference was SCQ2 3.0200 Stoke on Trent to Caldon Low Branch. The contact was a Town Planning Technician LNW.