Shrewsbury station "improvements"

[Michael.Y]

Platform 3 is also the home of UP WAG1/Geralds. It has also been used for BHM-HHD trains.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Platform 3 is also the home of UP WAG1/Geralds. It has also been used for BHM-HHD trains.

Shrewsbury can dispatch a train toward Wellington from all its current platforms 3,4,5,6& 7. A train from Wellington can arrive into 3,4,5 & 6 but not 7.

Shrewsbury can dispatch a train toward Hereford /HOW/Cambrian from all its current platforms 3,4,5,6& 7. A train from Hereford /HOW/Cambrian can arrive into 3,4,5 & 6 but not 7.

Shrewsbury can dispatch a train toward Wrexham from 3 & 4 only A train from Wrexham can arrive into 4 & 7 only.

Shrewsbury can dispatch a train toward Crewe from 4 & 7 only A train from Crewe can arrive into 4 & 7 only.

 

[PHILIPE]

I didn't think that it was possible to despatch a train towards Wellington from Platform 3. When re=signalled to allow movements to and from Sutton Bridge and the installation of the new signal, I didn't think that was possible and you could signal only towards Sutton Bridge

 

[Proud Salopian]

Seems quite a few have written into the Council and made their views known.

http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/...py-at-shrewsbury-rail-station-plans/29083924/

Wonder if Arriva will now back down from their ridiculously out-of-keeping slate proposal??

 

[PHILIPE]

They tend not to listen to views from outside. This is all the way through now and not just within the railway industry.

 

[Proud Salopian]

They tend not to listen to views from outside. This is all the way through now and not just within the railway industry.

I know.

ATW want their slate monstrosity and they will get it.

 

[Proud Salopian]

There is a new alternative materials/design up on the Council's website (find the application and it's there in the documents). Blue brick etc. Much better than the slate.

Could I ask people write in and support this alternative?

 

[Rhydgaled]

Could I ask people write in and support this alternative?

Sorry, I still cannot support these proposals. The key issue of insufficent waiting room space has still not been resolved, and if the new one has automatic doors lots of cold air is going to get in.

Who is Peter Jenkins? Is he the person to contact regarding alternative suggestions utilising only the existing buildings (avoiding the new build slate/blue-brick parts) to provide enhanced facilities?

 

[Proud Salopian]

Phillip Belchere is the case officer - he is a conservation (and planning) officer at Shropshire Council.

Peter Jenkins is the agent for ATW/Network Rail. Probably not worth bothering as he's only there to put forward their agenda and ensure it happens.

Surely you agree that (putting aside the issue of moving the waiting room etc - we can assume ATW are wedded to that idea) the blue brick is better than the slate. Basically what I'm saying is that if it's going to happen, let it not be with slate!!

 

[PHILIPE]

Sorry, I still cannot support these proposals. The key issue of insufficent waiting room space has still not been resolved, and if the new one has automatic doors lots of cold air is going to get in.

Who is Peter Jenkins? Is he the person to contact regarding alternative suggestions utilising only the existing buildings (avoiding the new build slate/blue-brick parts) to provide enhanced facilities?

They have now installed doors to the waiting rooms at Cardiff Central where you can push a button to open (disabled people, I presume) but there is a long gap before the doors start to close automatically. During the cokd weather an icy blast was coming in to the inconveniece of waiting passengers who had gone in there to try and keep warm.

 

[Rhydgaled]

Phillip Belchere is the case officer - he is a conservation (and planning) officer at Shropshire Council.

Is his e-mail address available? Sounds like it might be worth contacting him directly. EDIT: I think I've found it, sent something off.

Peter Jenkins is the agent for ATW/Network Rail. Probably not worth bothering as he's only there to put forward their agenda and ensure it happens.

So he's just an agent not the person responsible for the plans at either NR or ATW. Any idea who to contact at NR/ATW? Does Shrewsbury have a 'station master' type who would be involved in this?

Surely you agree that (putting aside the issue of moving the waiting room etc - we can assume ATW are wedded to that idea) the blue brick is better than the slate. Basically what I'm saying is that if it's going to happen, let it not be with slate!!

The sketch isn't really clear enough to know what the blue brick option would look like, but yes it is probably better than the slate.

I still don't think blue brick would be particularly in-keeping, but I might support that if it meant improvements for passengers, which at present it doesn't. Better ATW/NR save the passenger/taxpayer money than mess up the station without providing passenger benifits (the slight improvment to the location of the customer service office in the plans is offset by the downgraded waiting room, net benift=0).

 

[Gareth Marston]

Is his e-mail address available? Sounds like it might be worth contacting him directly.

So he's just an agent not the person responsible for the plans at either NR or ATW. Any idea who to contact at NR/ATW? Does Shrewsbury have a 'station master' type who would be involved in this?

The sketch isn't really clear enough to know what the blue brick option would look like, but yes it is probably better than the slate.

I still don't think blue brick would be particularly in-keeping, but I might support that if it meant improvements for passengers, which at present it doesn't. Better ATW/NR save the passenger/taxpayer money than mess up the station without providing passenger benifits (the slight improvment to the location of the customer service office in the plans is offset by the downgraded waiting room, net benift=0).

Shelley Hall is the station manager for Shrewsbury and other Atw stations in Shropshire Powys

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The sketch isn't really clear enough to know what the blue brick option would look like, but yes it is probably better than the slate. I still don't think blue brick would be particularly in-keeping, but I might support that if it meant improvements for passengers, which at present it doesn't.

Does the Grade II listing of the railway station only refer to the main station building itself ?

 

[Proud Salopian]

Does the Grade II listing of the railway station only refer to the main station building itself ?

The way listing works is that all buildings and structures within that listed building's "curtilage" (a planning term - means sort of "grounds") are also "protected" (in order to protect the actual listed building) - eg if a house is listed and there's a garden wall then that wall will be effectively listed too, as would the land within that wall.

With Shrewsbury station, its the main building that's listed but (as explained above) the whole thing is protected by listed status, and that's why development there needs listed building consent (no planning consent is needed as existing railway land - if used as railway - lies outside the normal planning system).

Here's the station's listing...

http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-455396-shrewsbury-station-shrewsbury-

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Is his e-mail address available?

I'll send you a private message and give you it.

Comments sent to the Council via their online form (via the planning application) will of course also 'land on his desk'. But there may be a delay.

 

[Rhydgaled]

Does the Grade II listing of the railway station only refer to the main station building itself ?

I think the application under disscussion says something like 'includes demolision of part of the listed building' even though only part of the customer service building and part of the non-orriginal waiting room frontage are proposed for demolision. That suggests it's not just the orriginal buildings that are listed.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I think the application under disscussion says something like 'includes demolition of part of the listed building' even though only part of the customer service building and part of the non-original waiting room frontage are proposed for demolition. That suggests it's not just the original buildings that are listed.

Your posting seems to mirror the reservations that I was feeling when I made my posting about the Grade II listed status and of what this covered.

I am also grateful for the clarifications made by Proud Salopian in his posting.

 

[Proud Salopian]

I think the application under disscussion says something like 'includes demolision of part of the listed building' even though only part of the customer service building and part of the non-orriginal waiting room frontage are proposed for demolision. That suggests it's not just the orriginal buildings that are listed.

I've explained the situation in my post..

 

[Proud Salopian]

The plans have been approved, as originally submitted. The Conservation Officer didn't listen to any of the objections (and there were many) to the use of slate as cladding, nor about the internal layouts. So, as I originally said, NR/ATW got their way despite what anyone thinks. Also shows how so-called "Conservation" Officers don't really give a flying..

 

[Rhydgaled]

The plans have been approved, as originally submitted. The Conservation Officer didn't listen to any of the objections (and there were many) to the use of slate as cladding, nor about the internal layouts. So, as I originally said, NR/ATW got their way despite what anyone thinks. Also shows how so-called "Conservation" Officers don't really give a flying..

Is there anything else that can be done? Passenger Focus?

Disgusting waste of money, building out-of-keeping additions with no net passenger benift.

What's going on on platforms 1, 2 and 3? With a number of red boxes (generators?) where the tracks for platforms 1 and 2 should be and hoardings around a section of the platform something must be afoot.

 

[Proud Salopian]

Is there anything else that can be done? Passenger Focus?

Disgusting waste of money, building out-of-keeping additions with no net passenger benift.

Nothing can be done now. Shrewsbury station's going to become a bigger mess.

Just shows that those in charge (be they from the railways or the council) just don't care.

What's going on on platforms 1, 2 and 3? With a number of red boxes (generators?) where the tracks for platforms 1 and 2 should be and hoardings around a section of the platform something must be afoot.

Maintenance to the bridge over the Severn. Not sure though if it means the end of that naff bottom end of platform 3/platform 2 - to be honest that might as well go.

 

[Rhydgaled]

Nothing can be done now. Shrewsbury station's going to become a bigger mess.

Is there no 'value for money body', like the BBC Trust or something, for the railways? I'd rather ATW/NR save their money than have them build something that gives no net benifit to passengers.

Just shows that those in charge (be they from the railways or the council) just don't care.

Yes, unless the conservation officer genuinely was of the opinion that slate-cladding was more in-keeping than the blue brick proposal. The latter might not actually look that bad if they did away with the odd patches of vertical brick above some of the windoes.

Maintenance to the bridge over the Severn. Not sure though if it means the end of that naff bottom end of platform 3/platform 2 - to be honest that might as well go.

Ah, thanks for explaining that. Would platform 3 take 7 coaches (4-car 158 and 3-car 175, I think a Holyhead service was at the far end of the platform when I boarded a Cambrian service from platform 3 once) without the extension that also forms platform2?

 

[Proud Salopian]

Yes, I'd imagine so. At the moment, because of where the new signal SBJ 99 is located (and indeed the pointwork that connects the platform's track with the main running track) much of the 'platform 2' part of platform 3 can't actually be used to platform a train anyway.