Somerset & Dorset Trust vows to fight Washford notice to quit
THE Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust said it has appointed solicitors to challenge the notice to quit Washford station served by the West Somerset Railway plc.
As reported last issue, in early February the railway sent a formal notice of termination of the 50-year tenancy agreement made with the trust in 2018, stating that the site was now needed for its own purposes.
In a statement issued in March, trust chairman Ian Young said: “We have appointed solicitors to handle this situation.
“We are disappointed by the attitude of the WSR plc towards an organisation that has invested so much time and money at Washford on both track and buildings on what was a brown-field site. Contrary to popular belief, there have been few formal meetings between the two organisations and at none of them was discussed any thought, or justification for, the summary action by the WSR plc. It was certainly a ‘bolt from the blue’ as we have said before.
“The WSR plc has put part of the reason for the notice to quit down to our lack of contribution towards their financial difficulties. However, the trust’s charitable objectives would make such donations unlawful and it would be unlikely that any changes away from our Somerset & Dorset specialism would be approved by the members at an annual general meeting. Nonetheless, we have assisted the WSR in other ways such as by providing most of the proceeds from the 2019 beer festival and purchasing items from them.
Tender subject
“It has been said that we refused to assist with fundraising for a new tender top for our S&D 7F No. 53808 which has been hired to the WSR since 1987. This is not so. Although, under the agreement, this is the responsibility of the WSR plc, we had indicated that we were prepared to help with this by fundraising.
“The WSR also stated that we wish to pursue our own agenda. Our agenda is simply to preserve and promote the memory of the old Somerset & Dorset through our museum exhibits, locomotives and carriages, just as we have done since the forming of our original organisation, the Somerset & Dorset Circle, in January 1966.
“The refusal of the WSR plc to engage with the trust on these serious issues means that we have no alternative but to step up our efforts to challenge this eviction order.
“The trust will also be setting up an appeal for fundraising. This will be used to ensure that the Trust can secure its future and safeguard the heritage entrusted to us over the last 50 years. Already, we have had unsolicited donations and a significant increase in members.”
A WSR plc spokesman said: “With everything else that is going on now with coronavirus and the immediate priority of being to try to save the WSR once again from potential oblivion – but through no fault of the railway this time – the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust lease issue is, of necessity, lower down on the list of WSR priorities.
WSR maintains its rights
“Following the trust’s latest‘in denial’ press release, the WSR can only simply repeat that a notice to quit the Washford site has been served, that the due process of the law will now take place and they will leave the site.
“While this may sound harsh to some, the S&DR Trust’s recollection of events, discussions and meetings is clearly at odds with that of the WSR plc who, it has to be remembered, are the S&DR Trust’s landlords and the WSR plc also has rights too and which they have exercised.”