PETITION CALLS FOR WITHDRAWAL OF WSR PLC’S EVICTION NOTICE TO S&D
A petition signed by 543 people has been submitted to the West Somerset Railway plc, calling for the withdrawal of its eviction notice to the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust.
Started on change.org on June 4 (SR507), the petition also called for structural change at the 22-mile line, and the recall of its cross-railway ‘Partnership Development Group’. The latter met in late June, for the first time since 2018, while the independent Bailey Report has recommended similar moves to change the structure of the railway (see story above).
While stating that the petitioners support the Bailey Report, Chris Ruddick – a WSR locomotive department volunteer and spokesman for the petitioners – said: “We still feel this [eviction] needs to be withdrawn as a matter of urgency. With organisational change now likely, we feel the Washford tenancy issue should be decided by the new charitable body. There is still a lot of bad feeling about this issue and to move forward a degree of compassion needs to be shown by the plc. Many have withheld donations or contributed to other causes as a result of this action, which has been a PR disaster for the WSR.”
A joint statement by the plc, WSR Association and West Somerset Steam Railway Trust responded: “As detailed in previous statements, we are pleased to confirm that most of the stated objectives of the petition were already under way.
“Essentially, we are trying to turn around a loss-making heritage railway into a viable business during the worst pandemic in most people’s memory – a task that would be daunting for even the most experienced business leaders.
“That the WSR plc still exists is considered by many to be a major accomplishment, given the parlous state of the finances in 2018/19 – a fact acknowledged in the recent Bailey Report.
“The new plc board, convened just over a year and a half ago, together with its supporting charities the WSRA and WSSRT, have worked hard together to move things forward on the railway and will continue to do so.
“We want to have an open dialogue with all our shareholders, employees, supporters, members, volunteers and stakeholders, and we look forward to engaging in constructive discussions to ensure that the WSR has a long and prosperous future.”