Well, indeed. I especially agree about using taxpayers money to scrap old cars to buy largely cheap South-East Asian motors under the guise of environmentalism, ignoring the massive energy cost in building a new car, Although I don't support the ideological attack on bankers I take the point that ultimately every decision about what to spend money on is a political decision derived in part from vested party interests. However don't fall into the Ed Milliband trap of confusing tax cuts with "giving bankers money". They (and everybody over £150k) are simply being allowed to keep more of their own money. But we digress.
If SELRAP continue to lobby that's entirely their own choice, everyone needs a hobby. But I will standby my point that I think that its unlikely ever to happen and has a poor business case. Regenerating Nelson and Colne is a laudable aim, but in reality that may simply be gentrification from the metropolitan classes seeking cheaper housing rather than local residents taking good jobs in a city. Regeneration is my opinion would be more successfully achieved by attracting high-end manufacturing to the area for which the skill base is more able to adapt to suit if not already suited.
Once again you don't even bother to read the fine print of the rail project, it's not and I must make this very clear again not a stopping service for just Colne to Skipton, it's a full on inter regional service linking both the Leeds and Manchester City regions as well as a possible link with Liverpool and Preston, and it has a business case, and a private investor sitting on the side lines that approached SELRAP 18 mths ago with a railway development plan for the line, and its not just passenger service but also freight, with a major need in the North for inland ports, and 3 sites have been looked at.
The Colne to Skipton Line sits where these inland ports need to be, Can't say more than that, but does anyone on here understand the true value of this line, which has the lowest gradient and no major tunnels or embankments, which all the other Pennines lines have, and works out far more expensive to run them than this line will be once opened, it will make it a lot quicker for those residents around the Air Valley line to get to Manchester, Man Airport, Preston and Liverpool, than going back up the line and down again to get to those locations, it will also benefit all the people of Pendle and to the west of Burnley to get to and from Leeds, Bradford. and the Line was built as a main line in the first place, I know from History that all the West Coast Main Line trains would be diverted to go down this line when it had a blockade on it, which would happen again once it's reopened.
Some times I think some of you on here work for Lancashire CC, as Planning officers, you come across that way, from the meeting that have been held, why is it that Pendle gets it in the Neck, when it comes to getting any Public Transport Investment, Pendle would do far better within West Yorkshire CC, at least they support this project more.
LCC with their Bypass Project, hmm, far more costly than any double track railway, and the Bypass would only benefit about 55% of the population of Pendle and Burnley, and that number will go further down due to fuel prices and the cost of insurance for car drivers.
Attracting high-end manufacturing to the area for which the skill base is more able to adapt to suit if not already suited,
well that's not going to Happen, Rolls Royce have said they are having issues with getting the right work force, most of the staff coming from outside the area, same with Morrisons in Colne, a lot of their staff come in from North and West Yorkshire, by Car, at the min, and by the way no other high end manufacturing company will move in to Pendle due to poor Public Transport Links, the above is fact, not fiction.
No New Companies will move in to Pendle until you have a joined up railway, the line was closed by mistake at the last minute, Barbra Castle wasn't going to close it, but for the fact that contracts had gone out for the line to be fulled up. this was a well used railway, and DR Beeching didn't want it closed, funny that isn't it, current line isn't working due to the fact its one of the longest single lines in the Country, with Poor Rolling stock that no and I mean no one should have to put up with, its about time the Government and all those High paid County Councilors started to look out for the poor people of Pendle, you should be ashamed of your self for not getting the Government to allow Norther Rail to Invest in new Trains, and I know they want to, from meetings with them.