'We will fight any railway sleeper factory appeal', say victorious residents

Rail bosses were left disappointed after Sandwell Council rejected plans for the factory at the Bescot sidings freight yard on the Wednesbury/Walsall border.

Network Rail has already indicated it is preparing to launch an appeal and let the independent Planning Inspectorate make a final decision.

Victorious campaigners said they were expecting an appeal but said they were prepared to fight it all the way.

Ward councillor Simon Hackett urged Network Rail to accept the decision of the council and not put residents through more uncertainty by going to appeal.

But an appeal appears the likely next step. Before the decision was made Network Rail representatives raised the prospect of an appeal if they did not get the outcome they were seeking.

Tim Evans, acting on behalf of Network Rail, said that because of the "importance of this facility across the country" it would have "no alternative but to embark upon an appeal".

Rail chiefs had urged councillors to give them more time to amend their proposals, insisting the factory, which would produce around 600,000 sleepers a year, was of “national significance” and a “critical part” of the railway infrastructure. They also told the hearing there had been "misunderstandings" about the development locally.

The application was refused over environmental concerns, and due to the number of lorries that would travel through the area. Planning committee member Councillor Peter Allen said he was not prepared to entertain a deferral as residents deserved closure after two years of uncertainty.

Speaking before the decision, Councillor Hackett said: "Residents don't want this in their area. I would say to Network Rail, if this is refused please respect local democracy."

Following the meeting, campaigner Wayne Trinder said: "We expect an appeal but we will fight it all the way. We will have to see what options are open to us.

"We've taken on a national company. We're just a bunch of residents. They've got more financial backing, more legal backing but we're not just going to roll over and go away."

A Network Rail spokesman said: “We are disappointed that Sandwell Council’s planning committee has chosen to refuse our application for a new railway sleeper manufacturing facility in Bescot. The plans would have unlocked significant economic benefits within the local area, including securing up to 100 new jobs and an £11.6m boost to the local economy each year during construction.

“We were only informed that the authority considered more information was required in early December. This did not provide enough time for all parties to resolve the situation ahead of the committee meeting. Despite asking councillors to defer determination until all parties were satisfied with the information submitted, we are disappointed that they have chosen not to do this.

“The production of railway sleepers is key to us providing a safe and reliable railway for the millions of passengers who travel by train every day and we will now consider all options available to us.”