GVTT Design Study Final Report Part One

Local regeneration through recreation of the

FINAL REPORT: June 2010

Part One : High Level Outputs

Prepared by TIR Ltd for the Glyn Valley Tramway Trust

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Prepared by TIR Ltd Document updated: 12/07/2010

Contents

5 Executive Summary

High Level Outputs

7 Background

8 Options

9 Assessment of market

12 Assessment of Local interest

13 Assessment of basic Viability

17 Option Recommendations

19 Scope of overall Project

20 Phasing

21 Schedule of Maps & Plans

23 Appendices

25 Glossary of Terms

27 Confidential Appendices

Local regeneration through recreation of The Glyn Valley Tramway

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5



Executive Summary

Through re-creation of a section of the Glynn

Valley Tramway, tourism and the wider econ-

omy in the Chirk area can be helped to develop.

Combined with the other quality attractions in

Chirk: Chirk Castle and the Llangollen Canal, a

significant cluster effect can be produced to at-

tract additional visitors to Chirk and impor-

tantly encourage them to stay longer in the

area thereby supporting secondary activities

such as accommodation, retail and catering etc.

The Glyn Valley Tramway was once the lifeblood of the Ceiriog Valley and through

careful and imaginative development over the next 20 years, it can once again make

the area very attractive to visitors.

This Project would bring the following benefits to the local community:

• Return an important part of the local cultural history that has lain remembered

but unloved for more than 75 years

• Offer a focal point and facilities for educating future generations about their local

past

• Bring at least an additional 50,000 visitors to the area

• Encourage an additional £300,000 per annum in visitors’ secondary expenditure

• Contribute directly an additional £2.5m to the local economy through employ-

ment etc

The Glyn Valley Tramway Trust has pro-

gressed rapidly from its formation in 2007,

a strong management team and a cadre of

committed volunteers has been drawn to-

gether as much for the effect the project

can have on the community as for their

interest in railways.

6


The Trust has already undertaken the following activities:

• Commissioning and management of this Report

• Clearance of the formation from Chirk Station (With the permission of the land-

owners and to allow surveying)

• Development and management of a Website

• Production and distribution of a Member’s newsletter ‘ Raising steam’

• Excavation and recording of the site of the original Station Building

• Attracted over 200 members, the majority of whom are local

• Developed strong relationships with other local Groups

•

The project has attracted wide publicity

and support from local people and

elected representatives.

Over 200 people visited Public exhibi-

tions in the area and the vast majority

supported the project

The Glyn Valley Tramway offers a locally unique

opportunity to combine historical interpretation with

economic development through tourism.


7


Tender Brief

Contract No1

Study to look at all op-

tions for re-instatement,

report on viability and

make recommendations

as to how Project may be

delivered.

brief continued .......


High Level Outputs

Background The Glyn Valley Tramway was an 8 mile long narrow gauge Tramway built in the second

half of the nineteenth century to connect quarries in the upper Ceiriog Valley around

Glyn Ceiriog to the Canal near Chirk. The Tramway was largely financed by well known

local business interests especially Mr Henry Dennis.

The initial phase opened in 1876 and consisted of a horse-worked roadside Tramway

from the middle of the village of Glyn Ceiriog down beside what is now the B4500 as far

as Pontfaen. From there it crossed the river Ceiriog and enjoyed a route which featured a

number of extremely steep gradients that must have restricted each horse to only a few

wagons at a time. The route can still be traced for about 90% of its length to its connec-

tion with the Canal at Gledrid Wharf (see Map X)

Traffic grew encouragingly and passengers were carried from an early date. The promot-

ers realised that with the coming of the Standard gauge Railway to Chirk, the canal

would decline and the sought and were granted Parliamentary powers to both improve

the existing route to allow the use of steam engines and extend it at both ends: To the

Quarries at Hendre at the West and on a new formation that abandoned the original

route to Gledrid and went directly to an interchange with the main line at Chirk Station.

These extensions and the steam locomotives started working in 1888 and continued until

closure in 1935. Interestingly traffic on the Tramway did not decline slowly but was actu-

ally killed off by the main product that the tramway itself carried: road stone. As the

roads were improved, hauliers were able to take their vehicles directly to the quarries

and in only a few years 90% of the traffic disappeared.

Since closure, much of the physical features have disappeared: the road has been wid-

ened onto the formation and some buildings have blocked the route, nevertheless many

features remain:

The original iron River Bridges at Dolywern and Pandy,

The original engine shed and Station at Glyn Ceiriog

The entire formation built in 1888 to serve the Quarries at Hendre is a footpath

The 1888 section to Chirk Station is intact

It is this last part that has become the focus for an ambitious project to re-create a sec-

tion of the Tramway as a way of assisting the Local economy

To date the project has been started and developed by the members of the Glyn Valley

Tramway Trust and particularly the Trustees. A special interest Group (the Glyn Valley

Tramway Group) has existed since the 1970’s promoting awareness and interest in the

Tramway. In 2007 the Group decided to create the Trust. Since then the two bodies have

separated. The Group has stated that it intends to concentrate on developing a museum

in the old Engine Shed at Glyn Ceiriog, while the Trust is focussed on an operating railway

at Chirk. Both projects are complementary to each other, however this report only deals

with the latter.

This report aims to look at all the possible scenarios for developing the Tramway as an

aid to the local economy. It is the author’s intent to ensure that any proposals put for-

ward are sound and provide good local benefit while conserving the extant physical fea-

tures.

8


Options

Before making specific recommendations as to how the tramway may be developed, we

have considered the following possible options:

1. Complete route re-instatement

2. Partial re-instatement from Chirk to Castle Mill

3. Partial Re-instatement from Chirk to Pontfaen

4. No physical re-instatement

5. Development of other related sites and activities

The Horse Tramway Route to Gledrid Wharf

Other Industrial sites around Chirk

Tramway related sites around Glyn Ceiriog

A detailed assessment of Options 1-3 is shown on Page 17.

It should be recognised that no reinstatement is an option—however it would be difficult

to demonstrate how any static or artefact museum based project would be either self

sufficient or attract enough visitors to have any noticeable benefit to the local commu-

nity. Recent history of such non-working and publically funded projects are not encour-

aging and it is clear there is no appetite from with funding bodies to support such a pro-

ject.

By re-constructing an operating section of the Tramway, a ‘product’ is created which can

be marketed to the general public as a tourism activity, while allowing the revenue from

such activity to fund wider conservation, interpretation and social outcomes. This is the

same model that is used by every other heritage project including the National Trust.

The Tramway can also be used to raise the profile of the other important heritage fea-

tures of the area such as the Lime Kilns at Bron-y-Garth and to develop active pursuits

utilising for example the original course of the Horse Tramway as three-sided trail, incor-

porating the Canal.

The recently announced World Heritage Site along the length of the Llangollen Canal

incorporates the Chirk viaduct which pre-dates that at Pontysyllte and was also designed

by Thomas Telford. The Tramway can be used to attract visitors to Chirk, who otherwise

might gravitate solely to the Llangollen end.


9


........tender Brief

continued

Assessment of market to

include:

i) Collation and interpre-

tation of existing data

on local and regional

attractions


Assessment of market

Desk based research has identified 3 key local attraction that have significant impact on

the local tourism economy within a 5 mile radius of Chirk:

Chirk Castle

Llangollen Canal

Morton Park Retail

Taken together these attractions can identify approximately 200,000 visitors per annum

that can be considered tourists (as aside from leisure and retail).

Chirk Castle is seen as a stand alone attraction and Morton Park concentrates on Leisure

visitors from the A5 Corridor, neither bring much trade into the town. They do of course

contribute to the local economy through employment etc.

The Canal is primarily marketed at the Llangollen end at Trevor basin and the Aqueduct.

Passing traffic on the Canal does not deliver large numbers of visitors to Chirk itself. Chirk

Marina offers a start point for Canal cruises in Chirk.

In addition to the well marketed attractions listed above around the Chirk area, the fol-

lowing sites of historical and social interest can be found in the immediate vicinity of

Chirk in addition to the course of the GVT:

Chirk Aqueduct and Viaduct—a unique juxtaposition of large engineering

structures which both represent early designs for their relative transport infra

structures

The former colliery sites around Chirk

The large Lime Kilns at Bron-y-Garth

The suggested site of the Battle of Crogan at Castle Mill

The course of the original Horse worked GVT to Gledrid Wharf

No objective Tourism data for Chirk itself is available, however data for the NE / North

Wales area provides some useful background:

Total population within 50 miles radius of Chirk is in excess of 4m

Total population of Wrexham CBC is 130,000

Population of Wrexham Town is 65,000

Population of Oswestry is 16,000

Total Labour market employed rate in NE Wales is 75.7% (highest for all Wales)

Population Statistics for NE Wales (with national comparisons where appropriate) (Source: Census data; Small Area Population Estimates, Office for National Statistics to 2007)

Total population for area: 491,000

Shares by Broad age group NE Wales area All Wales

Under 16 18.4% 18.7%

16—65 59.4% 60.3%

Over 65 22.2% 21.1%

Projected change over period 2011—2016

Shares by Broad age group NE area

Under 16 0.2%

16—65 2.6%

Over 65 4.7%


10


Domestic Tourism Statistics for N Wales (with national comparisons where appropri-

ate)

N Wales area All Wales

Average spend per night £42 £44

Change: 2007 over 2006 5% -2.2%

No nights (all holidays) 10m n/a

Change: 2007 over 2006 -13% n/a

Types of accommodation used: No bed nights % change over 2006

Guest House 1.7m -13%

B&B 0,5m 31%

Towed Caravans 0.8m 18%

Camping 0.9m 12%

Chirk is well placed to benefit from regional tourism and has good transport links to

large and medium sized population centres as shown in table below:

From the above data the following conclusions can be drawn in relation to Chirk itself:

• While the projected population growth of under 16s is small the growth in over

65s is significant. This age group is particularly interested in social and cultural

history such as that which is on offer around Chirk and the GVT.

• The proximity of other attractions to the GVT will generate a ‘cluster effect’ that

is not present now.

• The area is well provided with the types of accommodation that are popular

such as touring caravan sites but would benefit from additional visitors supporting

expanded B&B and guest house provision

• Chirk is very well placed to benefit from the large regional centres of population

and transport links are good—especially Rail, which is seldom the case with simi-

lar attractions


Table 1

Point of Origin :

By Road: By Rail:

Miles: Time: Time: Changes:

Manchester

Birmingham

Liverpool

Chester

Macclesfield

Birkenhead

Wallasey

Ellesmere Port

Dolgellau

Llandudno

Bangor

Newtown

Llandrindod Wells

62.4

70.8

46.3

21.3

57.8

43.5

44.9

30.2

45.9

58.8

60.5

20

61.5

1hr 25min

1 hr 31 mins

1 hr 1 min

33 mins

1 hr 23 mins

58 mins

59 mins

42 mins

1 hr 5 mins

1 hr 15 mins

1 hr 33 mins

38 mins

1 hr 26 mins

1 hr 56 mins

1 hr 25 mins

1 hr 36 mins

35 mins

2 hr 2 mins

1 hr 31 mins

1 hr 54 mins

1 hr 32 mins

1 hr 57 mins

1 hr 41 mins

1 hr 46 mins

1 hr 24 mins

2 hr 9 mins

2

0

1

0

3

1

2

2

2

1

1

1

1

Half Hour Drive from Chirk:

Llangollen

Oswestry

Welshpool

6.7

6

21.2

10 mins

12 mins

30 mins

1 hr 08 mins

1

11



continued

ii) Collation and analysis

of objective data

specific to project by

use of survey / consul-

tation with local stake-

holders (within Wrex-

ham CBC)

iii) Collation and analy-

sis of subjective data

through open consul-

tation with local inter-

est groups and general

public (both resident

and visitor within

Wrexham CBC).

Study of existing local attractions and similar types of attraction has shown good estab-

lished evidence of local benefit. Two examples are used to compare:

• Llangollen Railway (local)

Approximately 90,000 visitors per annum

Average fare £5.50

Well established heritage Railway

Appeals to a range of visitors both seeking a pure railway heritage experi-

ence and those wanting a relaxed day out through attractive scenery

Supported vigorously by Local and regional government (WAG) as a driver

of economic regeneration

• Lynton & Barnstaple Railway (similar type)

Narrow gauge line (closed 1930 like GVT)

Currently operating 1 mile long railway since 2005

2009 season attracted in excess of 40,000 visitors pa

Focussed on re-creating a time-capsule

Supported vigorously by Local (Devon County Council) and regional govern-

ment as a driver of economic regeneration

Both these examples show that with very different timescales and types of railway, suc-

cessful tourism based projects can be developed which support the local community.

While the L&B is not local it is of a very similar scale and size physically to the GVT and

can demonstrate what can be achieved in a relatively short space of time.

Additional Survey work and background data collection and analysis will be undertaken

before the final report is presented


12



continued

Assessment of Local inter-

est and support to include

consultation with the

following: Local elected

and voluntary bodies

Residents. Visitors and

Local employers

Assessment of basic viabil-

ity to include:

i) Identification of

potential funding sources.


Assessment of Local interest

Two specific exercise have been undertaken to identify the level of local support for the

project:

Face to face interviews with local stakeholders and businesses, including

collection of objective data by use of a scoring matrix.

Open Public Consultations in Chirk and Glyn Ceiriog

It is also envisaged that before a final submission of this report a further Public consulta-

tion will be held in Chirk in Wrexham Town

The Objective scoring matrix asked participants to score the following questions out of 5

possible values: Positive:2, Favourable: 1, Neutral: 0, Sceptical: -1, negative: -2

The following results were produced:

Detailed results, including names of face to face Consultees forms part of Confidential

Appendix B

From these results the following conclusions can be drawn:

• The Glyn valley tramway and the Trust have strong local recognition

• There is strong support for re-instatement of the section from Chirk to

Pontfaen within the local Chirk Community

• There is little general support outside Chirk for re-instatement of the entire

route

• There is a strong belief that a re-instated section from Chirk would support

the local economy

• There is some scepticism about the chances of delivery (which may be a

more general perception)


Table 2

Question

Percentage Positive

Results for

Chirk Public

Consultation

Percentage Positive

Results for

All consultations

Have you heard of the Glyn Val-

ley Tramway?

98% 64%

Have you heard of the Glyn Val-

ley Tramway Trust?

93% 45%

What is your attitude to the

Trust?

64% 42%

What is your attitude to Com-

plete Re-instatement of the

GVT?

64% 31%

What is your attitude to rein-

statement of a section from

Chirk to Pontfaen only?

67% 58%

Do you think a re-instated GVT

would be a benefit to the wider

local community?

67% 44%

Do you think a re-instated GVT

is likely to happen?

56% 23%

13

Assessment of Basic Viability

Potential funding sources include:

A wide range of capital and revenue funding sources are available to the Trust as follows:

Each method of funding has been scored out of 5: top score shows high availability.

Depending on the Phasing of the project one or a basket of these funding sources are

going to be appropriate— which the Business Plan will identify in detail

Table 3

Category

Organisation

Restrictions / notes

Availability

score

Internal GVT Trust 4

Private Bodies Land Fill Trusts Will not fund chargeable at-

tractions

2

Aggregate Levy

Trusts

Within range and strong track

record of partnerships across

the sector

5

Prism Specific Projects 4

Transport Trust Vehicles only 4

Social Enterprise

funds and Banks

Mainly offering loans and

some Grants (specifically man-

aged through Cabinet Office

‘Third Sector’ funds)

3

Public Bodies HLF Will not fund start-ups but

would be suitable for exten-

sion / expansion when track

record is established

4

Local & regional

Government

Specific Funds available

against tight criteria. Time-

scale restrictions

4



continued

Assessment of basic viabil-

ity to include:

i) Identification of

potential funding sources.



14



continued

(ii) Collation and

analysis of comparative

data on viability of similar

and/or local projects.


Comparisons:

Wrexham CBC does not currently have a heritage railway within its territory. Other In-

dustrial heritage sites such as Bersham are well established and enjoy revenue support

from Local Government. It is one of the guiding principles of the GVT project that it

should not require such revenue support.

For comparative purposes the only similar railway based heritage project which is similar

in both timescale and has been started from scratch in the last 5 years, is the Lynton and

Barnstaple Railway in North Devon.

The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway

Originally a 19 mile long (GVT 8miles) 2’ foot gauge railway (GVT 2’4.5”) connecting the

two eponymous towns. The line was opened in 1898 (GVT 1888 to Chirk Station) and

closed in 1935 (GVT 1936)

The primary business of the L&B was passengers (GVT: Stone and slate) and was built

using locally raised monies along with a single significant benefactor (sir Georges Newnes

for the L&B and Sir Henry Dennis for the GVT)

Both lines were abandoned though the L&B had passed into the ownership of the South-

ern railway while the GVT remained independent to the end. Both were created by Acts

of Parliament which conferred a range of powers upon the original Companies that are

now delivered through Transport & Works Orders

Both railways have retained a fascination and interest both within the local and railway

enthusiast communities

The L&B has been revived on a 1 mile long section of Track since 2005 and now carries in

excess of 35,000 passengers per year.

Some statistics for the L&B are worth noting:

• Membership of the Trust is now over 2,000

• Approximately 5% of the membership can be considered ‘active’ (i.e they under-

take specific tasks for the Trust apart from simply paying a subscription)

• The L&B turns over approximately £300,000 pa

• Last financial year it had an operating surplus of £50,000 was which was wholly re

-invested into Capital projects such as the restoration of two of the original car-

riages

•

It is our opinion that the GVT could easily match this kind of performance with 5 years of

opening


15



continued

NOTE: Order of items has

been changed to improve

clarity

(iv) Assessment of

Transport impacts includ-

ing use of DfT Transport

Analysis Guidance (TAG) if

appropriate.

(v) Assessment of

market penetration

against local and compa-

rable trend and specific

data.


Transport Impacts

Following discussions with both local interest groups and the local Highways Authority, it

is clear that complete re-instatement is neither viable nor wanted and therefore the pro-

ject has no Public Transport Function in the foreseeable future, this addressed in more

detail on Page 17

However due to the unclear future pattern of transport in the UK over the next 50 years

it would be prudent to consider safeguarding the route from further encroachment.

The Trust is recommended to make a submission to Wrexham CBC for the formation to

be protected within the next Local Development Plan

Market Penetration

At this stage it is only possible to determine the likely penetration with a significant de-

gree of estimating.

It is proposed that before the final report is submitted another Public consultation will

take place, including questionnaires and canvassing of visitors over a typical holiday

weekend.

Taking past experience of other similar attractions a relatively low starting level is predi-

cated.

Once operations have started a relatively high endogenous growth rate of 25% can be

expected, while the abstraction rate grows from an initial 5% to 15% by year 5 as aware-

ness of the attraction increases.

Phase 1a only: Limited Operation between Hand Lane and Matchbox Bridge, not requiring TWO

Local tourism generally is predicted to rise by 2% per annum which is more conservative

than the 5% rise recorded in the N Wales area between 2006-7 (last available data, see

Page 8)


Table 4 year 1 year 2 year 3 year 4 year 5

abstraction rate 5% 8% 10% 13% 15%

Existing local visitors 190,000 193,800 197,676 201,630 205,662

abstraction 9,500 14,535 19,768 22,179 24,679

new visitors 10,000 11,500 13,225 15,209 17,490

Total GVT visitors 19,500 26,035 32,993 37,388 42,170

16



continued

(iii) Assessment of im-

pact on local economy

Local impact

The social and financial impact of a \section of re-instated Tramway at Chirk could be

considerable. As mentioned the Tramway would contribute to a ‘Cluster Effect’ along

with the Castle and Canal, encouraging visitors to stay longer in the area and make a big-

ger local spending contribution.

Taking the Raw data from Table 4 (overleaf) and using the accepted Keynesian Economic

Multiplier, Table 6 (below) shows the projected net benefit to the local economy

In addition to the multiplier effect the Cambridge Local Area Tourism Model uses the

turnover from the project to calculate both Indirect Full Time equivalent employment in

the local economy and secondary spend, shown in Table 6 (below).

NOTE : recommended value for secondary spend is 1:1.05 in rural areas and 1:1.15 in

urban areas

Both these methods show that a revived GVT would make a substantial contribution into

the local economy.

In addition to this contribution, it is undoubtedly the case that the cluster effect of a

GVT / Canal / Castle package in Chirk would result in significant changes in stay behav-

iour by visitors.

Completion of Phase 1 with the extension to Pontfaen has a considerable additional

benefit as in an inherently stronger business model due to the limited scope for revenue

presented by Phase 1a




price uplift 3% 3% 3% 3%

average ticket pp £3.45 £3.56 £3.66 £3.77 £3.89

ticket revenue £67,363.64 £92,637.26 £120,915.48 £141,135.02 £163,960.19

additional revenue £58,500.00 £80,448.15 £98,977.80 £112,163.99 £126,508.55

TOTAL turnover

£125,863.6

4 £173,085.41 £219,893.28 £253,299.01 £290,468.74

Contribution to Economy 88%

£110,760.0

0 £152,315.16 £193,506.09 £222,903.13 £255,612.49

Keynesian Multiplier 150%

£166,140.0

0 £228,472.75 £290,259.13 £334,354.69 £383,418.74

Total contribution

£276,900.0

0 £380,787.91 £483,765.21 £557,257.82 £639,031.23

Cumulative contribution £657,687.91 £1,141,453.12 £1,698,710.95 £2,337,742.18


Table 6

year 1 year 2 year 3 year 4 year 5

Indirect equiv. FT jobs £50,000.00 2 3 4 5 5

Secondary spend 1 £125,863.64 £173,085.41 £219,893.28 £253,299.01 £290,468.74

17


abstraction rate 5% 8% 10% 13% 15%

Existing local visitors 201,630 205,662 209,775 213,971 218,250

abstraction 28,228 30,849 31,466 32,096 32,738

new visitors 15,209 17,490 20,114 23,131 26,600




Phase 1b from Yr4: Full Operation of One Mile Tramway to Pontfaen, requiring TWO


price uplift 3% 3% 3% 3%

average ticket pp £4.91 £5.06 £5.21 £5.36 £5.53

ticket revenue £213,235.6 £244,421.48 £268,630.80 £296,249.89 £327,854.37

additional revenue £152,029.0 £174,263.46 £180,529.56 £193,291.83 £207,682.09

TOTAL turnover

£365,264.7

0 £418,684.94 £449,160.36 £489,541.72 £535,536.46

Contribution to Economy 88%

£321,432.9

3 £368,442.75 £395,261.12 £430,796.71 £471,272.09

Keynesian Multiplier 150%

£482,149.4

0 £552,664.12 £592,891.68 £646,195.07 £706,908.13

Total contribution

£803,582.3

3 £921,106.87 £988,152.80 £1,076,991.78 £1,178,180.22

Cumulative contribution £1,724,689.20 £2,712,842.00 £3,789,833.78 £4,968,013.99



Indirect equiv. FT jobs £50,000.00 7 8 9 10 11

Secondary spend 1.05 £383,527.93 £439,619.19 £471,618.38 £514,018.80 £562,313.28

18



continued

V) Assessment of Op-

tions for re-instatement to

include:

1) Land ownership

including consultation

with landowners

2) Technical and de-

sign issues.

3) Legal and Regula-

tory Issues including Con-

sultation with all relevant

Statutory bodies such as

ORR, DfT, Highways

Agency, Highways Author-

ity, Local and Regional

and (where appropriate)

National Elected bodies.

Recommendations for

Legal and Financial Struc-

ture and ownership in-

cluding participation of

elected bodies.



Options Recommendations 1. The whole route Option

The outcomes of the Public consultations have shown that there is little or no appetite

for complete re-instatement of the whole route from Chirk to Glyn Ceiriog as Heritage or

Public Transport Operation.

Discussions with Local Transport Planners has also shown that currently there is low de-

mand for Public Transport Services along the valley and in any case as the Tramway

could only serve Glyn Ceiriog and not communities further along the valley, it would not

in its original form an effective Public Transport Function

Consultation with ORR has shown that were such a complete re-instatement to be con-

templated, then there would be no objection in principle to the concept of a roadside

tramway, however a number of technical constraints exist on the roadside section

(Pontfaen to Glyn Ceiriog) to include

Highway widened onto formation along most of the length

Buried services placed in the verge (water main)

Road junctions and other changes at the following locations:

Castle Mill junction

Pontfadog

Dolywern Loop

Bridge at eastern end of Glyn Ceiriog

Traffic and railway safety issues.

2. Chirk to Castle Mill

In the foreseeable future this is the likely extent of any reconstruction for tourism pur-

poses, for the following reasons:

• The location is the presumed site of the Crogan Battle, which it is expected will be

explored and interpreted archaeologically and the Tramway would form an excel-

lent Park and Ride function

• A route (not on the original formation) is possible to engineer but would require

additional landowner consent and considerable cost especially in the viscinity of

Chirk Trout Farm

Such a route option is only feasible in connection with the aforementioned battlefield

developments.

3. Chirk to Pontfaen

This section is technically and economically the most practical to deliver:

• The route is self contained and requires no major civil engineering apart from

rectification works

• The destination at Pontfaen is an ideal site and the operator of the Fisheries site

would be amenable to working with the Trust to develop facilities

• The journey would be of an ideal length, suitable for young families

• Add-on activities such as walks etc should be incorporated in the package.

RECOMENDATION: Option 3 is pursued as the initial project (Phase 1)

RECOMENDATION: Option 2 is further developed in advance of a possible

Battlefield development (Phase 2)

RECOMENDATION: Protection from further encroachment / degradation

19



Having undertaken the Option selection exercise on Page 17,

all further work refers to Option 3 only (Phase 1) unless specified

Land Ownership

Examination of public and private records have shown that all bar one small parcel of

Land is registered and is divided into the following parcels:

Chirk Station site

Formation from Station Road to boundary with Ty-Ririd (approx 400m)

Cutting through grounds of Ty Ririd

Remaining formation from Matchbox Bridge to Pontfaen

It has been possible to agree acceptable terms with all Landowners and at this time

heads of agreement documents are being prepared

Details of the draft agreements with the Landowners concerned will form part of a Confi-

dential Appendix A

Technical & design Issues

These matters will be covered in Part Two

Legal and regulatory Issues


Legal & financial structure


20



continued

Recommendations for

scope of overall Project

drawing together all the

issues examined in the

sections above. Special

consideration should be

given as to how the pro-

ject may be delivered in

terms of Phased develop-

ment.


Scope of overall Project

Timeline to 2050 (left)

2010 to 2019:

• Construct and operate 1 mile

long section of railway along

course of original GVT.

• Develop Museum and

Interpretive facilities in

former Estates Office

(in partnership with SPV)

• Construct replica of original

tram style locomotive

See Map No 1 attached

2020 to 2039:

• Construct and operate 1.5 mile long

extension to Castle Mill (probably on new

formation on North side of road) in con-

junction with Visitor experience centred

around the site of the Crogan Battle and

Bron-y-garth Lyme Kilns

• Construct additional replicas of origi-

nal tram style Locomotives and rolling stock

See Map No 2 attached

2040 onwards:

• Depending on prevailing Public

Transport Policy, consideration can be given

to re-opening the entire route as an Ultra-

light rail project using zero carbon tram type

Vehicles

Phasing


T

ab

le 4

Pre

-G

VT

Ph

ase

1:

Ch

irk t

o P

on

tfa

en

GV

T P

ha

se 2

: P

on

tfa

en

to

Ca

stle

Mil

l (C

rog

an

)

GV

T P

ha

se 3

: fu

ll r

e-i

nst

ate

me

nt

21



continued

Recommendations for

scope of Phase 1 (if appro-

priate) and options for

delivery of future expan-

sion phases (if appropri-

ate) and likely viability of

overall project.


Phase 1 to 2018 (left)

2009 : Preliminary Phase

2010 : Planning Application & Consent

2011 : Funding for Phase 1a

2012 onwards : Construction Phase 1a

2013 : Operation Phase 1a

Transport & Works Order

Chirk to Pontfaen

Funding for Phase 1b

2014 onwards: Construction Phase 1b

2015 onwards: Operation Phase 1b

2017 to 2019: Preliminary design for Phase 2

TWO for Phase 2

Funding for Phase 2


T

ab

le 5

2009

2

010

2

011

2012

2

013

2

014

2

015

2

016

2

017

2

018

Ph

ase

1a

:

Pre

lim

ina

rie

s

Ph

ase

1a

:

Co

nst

ruct

Ph

ase

1a

:

Op

era

tio

n

Ph

ase

1b

:

TW

O

Ph

ase

1b

:

Op

era

tio

n

Ph

ase

1b

:

Co

nst

’io

n

22



Schedule of Drawings & Plans

Doc no. Description Scale Drwg no.

MAP 1 Overlaid Google Earth image of GVT Phase1 & 2

MAP 2 Overlaid Google Earth image of GVT Phase 1

MAP 3 Overlaid OS Sitemap showing detail of Phase 1 1:1000

23


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24



Appendices

Regulatory Issues See Part Two

Legal & Financial Structure The Trust is currently constituted as a Limited by Guarantee Company and is a Registered Charity.

A separate Community interest Company (CIC) is being created as the trading arm of the Trust and will be a wholly

owned subsidiary without assets.

The Trust has a properly Constituted Board of Management which meets monthly. A variety of sub committees operate

dealing with discrete areas of activity. There is a Project committee which meets regularly and reports through the Pro-

ject manager (who is also a Trustee) to the main Board.

Background Data See attached Documents

25

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26

Glossary of terms

Cambridge Local Area

Tourism Model An accepted method of calculating local secondary impacts of tourism spend beyond

direct expenditure through the activity studied

Cluster effect An identifiable effect where when there are a group of attractions in a restricted geo

graphical area tourist habits are modified from ‘day trip’ to ‘stay trips’ thereby

making a greater contribution to the local economy

Crogan Battlefield A battle is known to have taken place between a retreating army of Edward I of

England and the Welsh Princes at which the English were nearly defeated.

One suggested site is at Castle Mill.

Formation The earthworks thrown up to support a railway track, which are often left behind

when a railway is abandoned

Gauge Distance between the rails, in the case of the GVT it was 2’4.25” when a horse

worked line and later 2’4.5” when operated by steam—there is no known reason for

the change and a mis-measurement by the Contractor is a distinct possibility

Keynesian Multiplier An accepted modelling tool that is used to calculate the secondary effect of an

activity into the local economy. Uses the target activity as a supply-side driver

Narrow Gauge Refers to the distance between the rails being less than standard gauge as used by

Network Rail, Llangollen Railway etc

Tramway A railway constructed without physical separation from other forms of traffic often

in or immediately adjacent to a public highway. Also refers to earlier

(pre 19th Century) basic railways constructed within mines or other workings



27

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28



Confidential Appendices

Restricted Circulation

Confidential Appendix A: Landowner Agreements

Agreements with Landowners have been formulated in line with the following guidance:

Date of issue: 26th

April 2009

Revised: 6th

May 2009

Issued By: Chris Phillimore

Circulation: David Dilnot

Keith Vingoe

The Project as currently conceived will require significant public funds. In addition the Trust will be contributing consid-

erable match funding in the form of labour and also it is envisaged that the Trust will also raise cash contributions from

members and the wider community. For this to be possible security of tenure will be essential. The Trust will be required

as part of funding applications to prepare a statement of ‘project risk (of failure)’. Any narrowly drafted clauses would

constitute such a risk and would render the project undeliverable.

For the railway to be given approval to operate, (either by ORR or by an ICP under the new ROGS regime) appropriate

access and safety fencing will be required and t6he usual risk assessments made.

The Trust should recognise (and this applies generally to the whole community) that the railway may cause disturbance

and inconvenience to residents (particularly during the re-construction phase)

That overall terms of any leases / licences should be broadly similar between the Trust and each individual Landowner.

Using the above as a guideline, the following standard items should form the basis of the lease / licence:

• The minimum term that funders will accept would be 30 years and some (such as HLF) will require

30 years.

• There cannot be an arbitrary termination clause. A lease / licence could only be terminated due to

specific contractual breaches.

• The Trust seeks a 5 year ‘grace period’ from the commencement of the lease to allow for funding

and construction to be started.

• The gauge should be between 595mm and 762mm

• The Trust will require to take control of the entire ‘formation’ through the land to be leased. This

will be from the top of the cutting slope on each side (or bottom of an embankment, whichever is

appropriate). In some cases it may be appropriate for the safety boundary to be further away

(especially where the formation is set on a shelf in a hillside) to ensure a safe railway. For purposes

of information it is worth considering that current Railway Technical regulations require a minimum

of 400mm clearance plus a safe walking route of minimum 900mm on one side. This would give a

total width of a minimum of 3.9m (12’8”) (assuming stock of 2m width and a dynamic envelope of

+200mm).

• The rent should be defined in the Agreement and should be based on current agricultural (low

grade ‘sidling’ type land of poor value) (deferred for period, preferably)

29

• The lease or licence will be in place before funding is granted. A draft, agreed but not enacted lease

will be required to be submitted as part of the business plan which will be required to support the

planning application.

• The Grantor should be given the right to be consulted about any structures or changes envisaged on

the leased land in advance of any Planning Application. This may fall into two phases:

Prior to granting the lease the Grantor may have the right to approve such structures

etc. The Grantor may reserve the right to approve any structures to be constructed

on certain areas during the life of the lease within certain areas

Subsequent to the lease being Granted, the unrestricted areas may be developed by

the Tenant but the grantor reserves the right to be consulted about any

development.

• Disturbance

It will be recognised by both parties that the reconstructed Tramway will cause some

disturbance in both noise and audible and visible impacts

While The Trust accept some limitations such as to keep noise and emissions to a

minimum the lease does not specify too narrowly any restrictions such as ‘no whis

tling’ as this is not practicable and could lead to an inevitable breach of contract

Trains passing will result in some vibration and any clauses should recognise this

Normal conditions referring to rights of support and no undermining of adjacent land

and properties would be acceptable.

• Schedule 1 covers the maintenance of any boundaries such as fences, hedges etc. In the case of

‘green’ boundaries and in all cases:

Any green boundaries should only be considered as visual features and will not be

adequate as safety fences.

Stock-proof fencing on railway side which consists of pig netting stapled to treated

softwood stakes of minimum 100mm dia. of up to 1.2m high

Gates will be provided at regular and specific locations to afford emergency pedes

trian and (where practicable) vehicular access.

• The Trust will need to agree in advance with the landowner what if any trees etc will require to be

removed in advance of construction / operation. This work will form part of the

Landscape Management Plan to be submitted with the Planning application.



30

Update June 2010

Richard Burbage Ltd: Chirk Station Site

Agreement In principle for a 30+30 year lease at Nominal annual rental.

Legal agreement in process due end August 2010

Caravan Club: Land south of Hand Lane Bridge The Caravan Club have been very supportive of the Project and have offered the required land on favourable terms and

a legal agreement is in the process of being completed

The period of the Licence will be 30 years with a renewal clause

See copies of letters enclosed

Ben Williams: Cutting to rear of Ty-Ririd Agreement has been reached with Mr Williams for the Trust to lease the Land required on agreeable terms in line with

the Guidance shown above . A legal agreement will be completed shortly.

The period of the Licence will be 30 years with a renewal clause

See attached document

Myddelton Estates (Guy Myddelton): Land between Matchbox Bridge and

Pontfaen Agreement in principal with Legal agreements in preparation.



GVTT Design Study Final Report Part One

Documents

assessment of local

local people

local community

glyn valley tramway

local groups

local past

local economy

glynn valley tramway