Six kilometers of disused railway lines in Staffordshire could be reopened as council leaders receive an update on plans
Council leaders are set to receive an update on plans to open more than six kilometres of disused railway lines into a greenway which will connect Lichfield to Chasewater.
Lichfield District Council now has the option to sign a lease to take control of the line.
The council is working with vulnerable group, Back the Track, who are currently clearing the route of the former South Staffordshire Line between Lichfield and Chasewater.
Now, the landowner, Network Rail have agreed terms for a 50 year lease over the line.
Despite several attempts to amend the lease Network Rail have presented a ‘take it or leave it’ 50 year agreement which would see the council responsible for all Network Rail owned structures along the route including bridges, embankments, structures, cuttings, buildings and culverts.
Cabinet members are now being recommended to delegate authority for signing the lease to the cabinet member for visitor economy, ecology and climate change.
Back the Track have previously opened the Pelsall to Brownhills section of the line and have already started preparation work on the track. This includes vegetation clearance and tree safety inspections.
It is hoped that the lease will be signed in Summer this year. It is also expected that removal of the track and the ballasts will take 10 weeks, although work has already started.
It is hoped that the greenway will be opened in sections as they are ready instead of waiting for the whole 6.5 kilometres to be ready.
It is expected that once the council take on the lease that Back the Track maintains the route.
The report to cabinet members states: “The initial vision is that it will open as a ‘wild walking route’, like a public footpath.
"The ambition is that the council helps to get the Greenway open, but then ‘steps out of the way’ as much as possible, to enable community groups, such as Back the Track to take on as much of the ongoing maintenance of the route as possible.
“Back The Track have already successfully opened the Pelsall to Brownhills section of the line. This section has also been a ‘wild walking route’ for a number of years. In September planning permission was granted for a multi-million pound upgrade to this section, including re-surfacing the route to improve accessibility.”
The cabinet is set to meet on Monday, June 23 to make a decision.
