FUNDING AND PLANNING APPROVALS PROCESS for DfT funding award


The promoter of a scheme (usually a local council) has to fund all the work during the application process which takes years.
This can run to around £5 or £6 million.

Programme entry. The scheme would need to make an Initial Funding Application to the DfT in order to be granted this.

Planning consent. All necessary planning powers have to be obtained.

To authorise the new railway an Order under 1992 Transport and Works Act or Planning Act of 2008 (Development Consent Order) would be required:

To state that the powers in the 1859 Bourton - on - the - Water Railway Act, the 1862 East Gloucestershire Railway Act and 1873 Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway Act; no longer apply along the stretches of railway that have been redeveloped in Cheltenham (Lansdown Junction to West of Charlton Kings Station site -- excluding the bridges at Moorend Park Road and Leckhampton Road and the area covered by the Old Bath Road Nature Reserve) and Bourton – on – the – Water (East of A429 Fosse Way - Bourton Link Road - beside Industrial estate), that have been substituted by deviations and so are not to be restored,
To transfer entitlement to exercise the powers in the 1859 Bourton - on - the - Water Railway Act, the 1862 East Gloucestershire Railway Act and the 1873 and 1877 Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway Acts, to the railway undertaker, along the stretches of route that are to be re-used by the new railway,
To grant planning permission for the deviated railway line South of Cheltenham (Badgeworth to Charlton Kings station (site of)), and West of Bourton – on – the – Water (West of A429 and North of Industrial Estate),
To grant planning permission to deviate the restored railway within the limits of deviation of the 1862 East Gloucestershire Railway Act and the 1873 Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway Act in the Beeches Road / Ravensgate Road localities of Little Herberts, and in the vicinity of A40 / Pine Holt roads in Andoversford,
To grant planning permission to deviate the restored railway within the limits of deviation of the 1873 Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway Act beside Notgrove station site, beside Stow – on- the - Wold station site, and beside Chadwick Lakes leisure complex,
To grant other planning permissions as required,
To regulate the application of the 1991 Highways Act, within the Order,
To allow the railway undertaker to buy land required for the railway line,
To regulate the construction of the railway line,
To allow the railway undertaker to operate the railway line,

(1845 Railway Clauses Consolidation Act would need to be incorporated in to the Order).

The order can only be granted by the Secretary of State after a public enquiry in front of an independent Inspector who reports to the Minister.

Provisional Funding Award. Application has to be made to the DfT in order for the railway to be granted provisional approval.

Full Funding Award.
Tenders are invited for construction.
Once a preferred contractor is identified then a final application is made for the Full Funding Award.
The award usually covers a large proportion of the cost but there has to be a contribution locally.
In the past it has been suggested that some of the cost of the promotional expenses and a proportion of the local contribution could come from Share Issues by a Public Company set up for this purpose.