Planning inspector to probe level crossing closure

A public inquiry will be held over the closure of a level crossing in North Lincolnshire.

The crossing, on Carr Lane, Worlaby, near Brigg, was closed by Network Rail some years ago.

Worlaby Parish Council and North Lincolnshire Council have opposed the closure as it removes villagers' access to Ancholme Valley Way.

Network Rail said it was unable to comment but it hoped to issue an update soon, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The three-day event at Worlaby Village Hall will take place from April 9 to April 11. A planning inspector will chair the inquiry.

The closure of the crossing has blocked access to the River Ancholme for Worlaby residents. North Lincolnshire Council and Network Rail are the disputing parties and will be represented by barristers at the inquiry.

The Carr Lane level crossing has been a regular standing item at Worlaby Parish Council meetings for several years.

The parish council has previously stated that it understood Network Rail’s intentions were to maximise rail track for freight for economic and environmental reasons, and to minimise pedestrian access to the track for safety.

The council has expressed support for those aims but said villagers should still be able to access freely a known, historical footpath to the river.

Parish council chairman Mike Speakman said it was opposed to the level crossing’s closure, with village access to the river cut off as a result.

Robert Waltham, leader of North Lincolnshire Council and member for Brigg and Wolds ward, has also called for the crossing’s reopening and recognition of the path as a public right of way.

“Residents and visitors have been using Carr Lane for many generations to get to and from the village but also to access the River Ancholme," he said.

“It is a key access point for the Ancholme Valley Way and wider into the Wolds and the Low Villages for people walking and cycling.”

North Lincolnshire Council’s case for its reopening will rest on historical documents, testimonies from the public and its historical use.

Anyone wishing to give evidence should attend the first day of the inquiry to register a desire to speak.

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