Cinder Track report 2016

I'm the Chair of the Friends of the Old Railway (Cinder Track) and next week it's their AGM. Unfortunately I'm going to be away in Belgium meeting an Indian colleague who, though he's working in Europe, hasn't had time to get a visa to come to the UK. So, rather than give my annual report at the meeting I thought I'd do it here.

I'm pleased to report that the Borough Council, who own most of the Track, have made significant improvements to the surface as it approaches Ravenscar from the south. The ruts are gone and it's now obvious where water that used to run along the surface is meant to go. 

Cinder Track just north of Grange Farm crossing

We're now well on the way to getting a custom made interpretation board, similar to the ones in Whitby, Robin Hoods Bay, Ravenscar and Scalby, for a site at the start of the Track at Safe Ways Park (near Sainsburys) in Scarborough. Many thanks to County Councillors John Ritchie and David Billing who've each allocated £750 from the funds that they oversee for local projects. We are confident that this will be matched by the release of some Section 106 money (from local developers) and thanks to Tom Mutton for helping pull all this together. Colin Foster has located a source of good photographs of the line as it used to be in this area and we hope to incorporate these in the sign.

Similar sign in Whitby

Sustrans, with the help of SBC and the Groundwork Trust, made a successful bid for funding from the Coastal Heritage Fund. They're using this to put even more flesh on the existing Development Plan so that if and when funding opportunities arise we'll have shovel ready plans already in place. This is currently going out to wider public consultation.

Public consultation poster

Of course, there have been niggles along the way. At just about every meeting for the last year we've bemoaned the fact that the bin at the foot of the Candler Street ramp, which was leaning at a neglectful angle, had been removed but not replaced. Despite assurances that the pooh bags would soon have somewhere to go this still hasn't quite happened.

The start of a pooh cairn where the bin ought to be

In Guerilla Public Information I wrote about the signs that I'd made and put up myself where the Track crosses Station Road in Scalby. It was recently drawn to my attention that one of the signs had gone missing and so, even though I think the County Council really ought to put up some proper metal ones with stronger fittings than a few cable ties, I got out my saw, stencils and paint, made a new replacement and put it up last weekend.

Replacement finger sign

Finally, for want of a proper web site we've now got a Facebook Page which Tom Mutton kindly administers. 

Andy Sharp 5/5/16