THE company behind the proposed restoration of the Tavistock to Bere Alston railway line has published a viability report for the £18.5-million scheme.

Kilbride Community Rail Group intends to invest the money to lay 8.8 kilometres of track to connect with the existing operational railway line in return for permission to build 750 houses on land adjoining Monksmead, off Callington Road, Tavistock.

This 'deliverability report,' produced by planning and development consultants RPS, outlines the sustainability of the railway line in conjunction with the housing scheme.

London-based Kilbride, which is part of a Scottish-based group and 50% owned by banking group HBOS, intends to canvas public opinion in the area on the report's findings through a number of exhibitions and questionnaires in the summer.

The report, which was prepared in response to proposals identified by West Devon Borough Council, as part of the emerging Local Development Framework, outlines an 'evidence base' for the project in terms of planning, transport and engineering issues.

It also takes into account effects on ecology, archaeology, heritage and the impact on the landscape.

Kilbride managing director Peter Frost said: 'We would stress that although the document includes a timetable for the proposed rail service, this is a first draft produced by a theoretical demand study carried out by our rail experts in London.

'In order to deliver a proper service we will need comments and suggestions from local residents, potential users, First Great Western,  the Rail Partnership, Devon County Council and others to make sure the final draft timetable that will be a part of the Transport and Works Act Order application reflects a service that the local community will support.

'The constraint on the service is largely the signalling structure that currently exists and our desire to preserve the Gunnislake service.

'We would like to carry out some more surveys and exhibitions locally in the coming months and are discussing these with the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership and First Great Western.'

But not everyone welcomes the proposals, especially with such a huge housing estate being imposed on the town as the price of such a venture — although Kilbride says its proposed development site 'is consistent with planning policies at a national, regional and local level'.

Ted Sherrell, a Tavistock town and West Devon borough councillor, said: 'While it could be a positive move to have a direct railway link to Plymouth, the building of 750 houses to finance it is too great a price to pay.

'Probably only a small number of people living in these new homes would actually travel by train, the rest driving their cars on inadequate roads and making further demands of a town infrastructure already creaking under the strain.'

Chris Dunford, a planning policy officer for West Devon, said: 'The document provides us with a significant additional amount of information and evidence to demonstrate that the site could physically deliver such a scheme. It doesn't provide all the answers but it's a step on the way.'

The next draft of West Devon's core strategy will include final proposals which will go to its future planning and housing committee in April. Any decision made there will then go for public examination in front of the Planning Inspectorate.

The full report by Kilbride can be seen on http://www.kilbridgegroup">www.kilbridgegroup.

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