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Swanage Railway connection to mainline

Swanage Rail link under threat if funding not secured.

* Friday, 05 February 2010

The impact on the Town and the Isle of Purbeck of losing the service in the early ‘70s was dramatic, reconnecting the line would have an equally dramatic positive impact

February 4th 2010:

A Town & Community collectively holds its breath……………..

The much loved Swanage Railway, devotedly restored over the last 30 years is in danger of missing a key deadline to re-connect to the main line as local councils ponder funding issues.

Swanage is on the Dorset Peninsula known as the Isle of Purbeck and is an idyllic Victorian seaside resort, nestling at the eastern gateway to the spectacular World Heritage Jurassic Coast. Access to the region is limited to a single road in through Wareham and Corfe Castle or via the chain ferry at Sandbanks. This limited access has always restricted the number of visitors the region can comfortably support or the ability of local residents to travel to Bournemouth and Poole for work or education.

Having originally been closed in the early ‘70s, a dedicated band of hard working volunteers have spent the last 30 years restoring the line with the fervent hope of achieving a regular service by connecting to the Network Rail system at Wareham. This achievement is now in jeopardy as a key milestone approaches, namely Network Rail’s process planning for future signalling requirements. To achieve this and give it every opportunity of re-connection after 2012, the railway in the form of the Purbeck Rail Partnership needs an investment of £3 million to be committed by the end of February.

Apparent sources of funding from the Swanage Town Council, Purbeck District Council and elsewhere have so far not been forthcoming even though reputedly significant sums of money are invested or held elsewhere.

Informed estimates of the likely increased annual contribution to the local economy of a direct rail link are in excess of £7 million so what better investment could be made in the region’s future?

“The impact on the Town and the Isle of Purbeck of losing the service in the early ‘70s was dramatic, reconnecting the line would have an equally dramatic positive impact on the region from a social, economic and commercial perspective” said Julian Maughan, Vice Chairman of the Swanage & Purbeck Hospitality Association.

Once the investment has been secured, there are still a number of tasks to be funded and completed before the line can be re-opened for regular passenger traffic. However, without inclusion in Network Rail’s Poole to Wool re-signalling scheme for 2012, it is unlikely that such an opportunity will arise for many years. Hence this is the chance of a generation.

A regular rail connection to Wareham will allow people to travel between Purbeck and the rest of the country without using their cars, thus alleviating pressure on the county’s already crowded roads, as well as the environment.

Swanage Railway is already running regular train services over most of the branch. This has a substantial impact on the economy of Purbeck and Dorset. In 2009, Swanage Railway carried a record 224,000 passengers. Furthermore, the first through passenger trains from outside Dorset since 1972 arrived in Swanage with several more planned for 2010. Even these irregular charter trains had a major impact on the local economy as they brought many people into the area, benefitting the retail and hospitality trade in Swanage

For more information please contact Mr Julian Maughan Vice Chairman - Swanage & Purbeck Hospitality Association 01929 423972 / stay@thecastleton.co.uk

Swanage Secondary School

Secondary Update. Parents will not give up !!

Swanage parents fighting for secondary school
7:00pm Monday 1st February 2010
Dorset Echo

This resolution was passed by Swanage Town Council at its meeting on 1st February:

Swanage Town Council deplores the recent decision of Dorset County Council's Cabinet (1) to conduct no consultation with the residents of Swanage on the County Council's intentions towards the future of Secondary school education
in the town; and (2) to carry out no Economic Impact Assessment of the likely economic and social effects of the planned withdrawal of Secondary education from Swanage.


Posted by Anonymous to swanageview at 12:23 AM

James Day Home To Close! ?

Has anybody else heard this news? I heard today that it is actually planned to close in two months time. The reason? Apparently it is not financially viable. Frankly this is a load of toffee and is more likely to be about making a quick buck by developing the site.

Call me cynical, but, don't we have enough derelict ex-care homes in Swanage already?

Posted by Anonymous to swanageview at 8:47 PM

Volunteer of the Year?

I learned at yesterday's Council meeting that PDC wishes to recognise a Volunteer of the Year, for each parish in the district. I suggested that this should be made widely known, to attract nominations from the community... but apparently there is only a week or so before the deadline. Although I've asked for wider publicity next year, for the moment, if you have any proposals, please publish them here and I shall make sure they are passed on. Or if you prefer to do this less publicly, send to me at mailATmikehadleyDOTnet

Purbeck Core Strategy: consultation latest

Preliminary report on PDC consultation:

Distributing new housing around Swanage, Upton, Wareham and larger villages was the preference of respondents to Purbeck District Council’s recent consultation on Planning Purbeck’s Future.   However, the response to the proposal for a large supermarket on the edge of Wareham was less clear-cut ... more on website

£1m South West promotion

A £1 million regional promotional campaign for the South West launches in
early February and is aimed at attracting visitors from London and the
South East, Midlands and Birmingham to the South West.
The campaign is being funded by the South West RDA together with various
regionally based public and private partners. The campaign aims to attract
additional visitors out of the main summer holiday season with part of this
campaign to look at  the new look regional tourism website,
www.visitsouthwest.co.uk.

What about a reef off Swanage?

The Environment Agency (EA) has supported the first phase of a scheme to
obtain permission to sink a ship that can be used as an artificial reef for
divers at Ringstead. ‘The lack of premiere diving venues in the South West
was a key finding of the recent Enjoying Water strategy, led by the EA.
They are keen to encourage more people to use the coast and inland water
for recreation in a sustainable manner.  The first phase of the Wreck to
Reef will concentrate on commissioning independent experts to produce a
series of surveys necessary to progress the project in a sustainable way.
The EA has contributed £8,000 towards a marine survey of the proposed site,
an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of sinking a vessel and a
comprehensive business plan.

Bereavement Balls

Cremated remains of humans could be encased in concrete bereavement balls
and placed on the seabed to create an artificial reef and rejuvenate the
diving industry at Ringstead off the coast of Weymouth and Portland.
The bereavement balls are part of the Wreck to Reef project, which has
already been donated a Castle Class navy ship which will be stripped down,
cleaned before it is sunk. The project also hopes to source a second wreck,
which will be used as an educational resource for schools, with live
web-cameras showing the development of marine life.

Weymouth Spirt of the Sea Festival 3-16 July

The 2010 Spirit of the Sea Festival, held in Weymouth and Portland have
expanded the event from nine days to 14 days to attract more visitors from
around the country.  The festival will take place between 3 and 16 July
2010. Roy Griffiths, the event managers from Creative Solutions, has stated
that they are looking for a title sponsor for the festival. Festival
attractions will include the hugely successful Dorset Seafood Festival, a
series of concerts on the beach and a marine exhibition. Anyone with ideas
for events can call Mr Griffiths on 01305 832512. More information can be
found at: http://www.Spiritofthesea.org.uk

Child bus fares going down

[This from Wilts&Dorset website (1 Feb 2010)]
Travel for Child fare until you are 19 - all day, every day

We know that 14 is too young to be hit with adult fares and do you hate the 9 o’clock rule? Dorset residents can see this on the front page of today’s Bournemouth Daily Echo or read it on their website[ http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/purbeck/ ]
Well from Saturday 13th February we are changing the rules for bus fares for young people.
* Adult fares will only kick in on your 19th birthday.
* Accompanied children up to the age of 7 will go free.
* The dreaded 9 o’clock will be scrapped. Young peoples’ fares will be available at all times. The only exceptions are Nightbuses in Bournemouth and some college routes, where the college tell us what to charge.
* For families travelling together we are coming up with some great group deals. More to follow soon.

Ship pavement

I see that the shattered stone pavement outside The Ship is being replaced today (1 Feb 2010) — and with Purbeck stone too, it seems. I asked for this (and other pavements in Swanage) to be repaired years ago. Wonder how long this will last?

If you want to raise a new topic, post your comment here — just click first on Comments below, then type in post a comment (top right of the next window). Can you choose a title for your post, please? Sometimes it's hard to work out what a comment is about and what the subject is. A new heading will soon be set up, allowing others to see and add their own comments. It seems it's sometimes easier to click on 'Post anonymously' than to open an account in your name - you can always add your name to your message. We try to keep posts civilized. And any posts that become too provocative, insulting, threatening or otherwise unpleasant will be deleted.

Swanage Bayview Holiday Park Transition

Anonymous said...

Could we begin yet another thread for 'Swanage Bay Holiday Park Transition' - (subtitled 'The Never-Ending Story'!) even though I am sure many are growing weary of it? It HAS achieved more posts than any other in the history of SwanageView and is clearly an ongoing topic of discussion for the town. Thanks.

9:46 PM

Interested in being a Councillor?

On Monday 1st March at 6.30 pm PDC will be providing an introductory session for potential candidates on the electoral process and what it means to be a District and/or Parish Councillor.  A more detailed session for candidates and agents will be arranged once nominations have closed.  The introductory session will be in the Council Chamber at Westport House and should last for about an hour or so.  Candidates’ packs will be available together with the timetable of what will be happening when.

IMPORTANT. If you are interested in attending, please contact: Peter Aston, Principal Democratic Services Officer & Deputy Returning Officer, Purbeck District Council;  PeterAston@purbeck-dc.gov.uk; (01929) 557221

Classical Festival Kimmeridge 26-28 August

The Seranata Festival, set for 30 acres on Purbeck’s Smedmore Estate, overlooking stunning Kimmeridge Bay, will cater for 3,000 people a day this August. Tickets for the top package cost £795 for the three days, while one-day tickets, including camping on the family site, start at just £55. The website serenatafestival.com goes live on Friday 29th Jan.

Want to volunteer?

If you would like to volunteer for something that will help the community, but don't know where to start, or want some advice, you might like to look at the Dorset Volunteer Website. Or you can phone the Purbeck Outreach worker, Angela Taylor, on 0755 212 2708 or a.taylor@volunteeringdorset.org.uk. Or you can chat with her on Wednesdays at Swanage Library 11am - 1pm, and on Thursdays at Wareham Library 10am - 12noon.

Also contact Angela if you are interested in courses, such as First Aid, Spectator Safety, etc. I attended a very useful (free) course on First Aid yesterday.

Dog airlifted to safety

Whose was this?!

Jack Russell airlifted to safety on Purbeck

A dog had to be winched to safety by coastguards after becoming stranded at the bottom of a cliff in Dorset.A 999 call was made after a female Jack Russell, called Xena, became separated from its owner on Thursday. Portland Coastguard scrambled its helicopter to a quarry near Winspit on the Purbeck coast after initial reports that a person was also trapped.The dog was found with minor injuries and airlifted to safety. It was later reunited with its owner. No persons were found to be in danger, the coastguard added.

Your community group need cash?

Don’t miss out on cash

Echo 7:00pm Thursday 21st January 2010

GRANTS of up to £1,000 are still available for community groups.
The cash, on offer through the Purbeck Community Partnership, is up for grabs until the February 12 deadline.
Brian Bleese, partnership chairman, said: “These grants are a great way to help get local community initiatives off the ground.”
Groups offering social and physical activities locally should apply through purbeck.gov.uk or call Sue Bellamy on 01929 557303.

Urgent help needed for Dorset Reclaim

Dorset Reclaim have had all the items stored in their warehouse destroyed by fire (apparently the Police think it may have been started deliberately). This will mean they will not be able to provide household items to lots of needy people on low incomes, until they can get nore stock.

So if you have any unwanted beds, sofas, tables, fridges, TVs etc ... please think of contacting Dorset Reclaim to arrange collection.

Telephone 01202 773384
Email: ray@dorsetreclaim.org.uk
http://www.dorsetreclaim.org.uk/

Dorset Reclaim is a registered charity project, based in Bournemouth, Poole and Dorchester,
re-using and recycling furniture, electrical and household goods.
The principal aim of the Project is to provide these items to those in need within the local communities throughout Dorset and East Hampshire. They collect for free too.

Jon Sibthorpe

Jon sadly passed away on Weds 13th January at home in Swanage.
There is a remembrance book in The Gazette office - please pop in and jot down your comments, memories and stories.
The funeral is at 11.45am on Thurs Jan 28th. at St Mary's Church, Swanage, followed by 'Jon's last gig' at The Red Lion, High Street, Swanage. All welcome.
Casual clothes only - no black please.



Posted by Anonymous to swanageview at 4:09 PM

Purbeck Hotel loses licence

Drugs bust leads to Purbeck Hotel loss of licence.



Posted by Anonymous to swanageview at 1:34 PM

Haiti appeal

Some of you might be interested to know that I asked at the Council meeting yesterday if the Council could make a donation to the Haiti emergency appeal. Unfortunately, it seems the Town Council is only legally allowed to make such donations within its own geographical area. So it can't help, even though it would like to.

Sunseeker all at sea?

Strange things happening over at Sunseeker it seems. Main board all replaced and a man from KPMG brought in. But business still booming so no doubt company will be ok even if management shuffles around. (Nothing in the local media yet, of course).


More on IBI Magazinehttp://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20100018182201ibinews.html
Following speculation over the last couple of days of changes afoot at Sunseeker International, the UK boatbuilder has issued a statement announcing the establishment of a new operating board, and that Robert Braithwaite is to reduce his involvement in the day-to-day running of the business as managing director to focus on customer relations and steering the Sunseeker brand. Robert Braithwaite stepped down from the board of Sunseeker International Ltd at the end of December, though he remains a majority shareholder.

Internet Explorer

Warnings against using this browser. I use Firefox myself   http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/