Volks Railway to get lottery grant

[desprateseagull]

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/13785068.New_Lottery_to__secure_the_future__of_Volk_s_Railway/

Thoughts on public money being used, to prop up a council owned facility..? Will they blow it on the solar panels..?

And how much does it cost, to clear out the weeds along the line?

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Excellent news.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

It's not really public money though is it ? It's money from people daft enough to spend £2 on a ticket and hoping to get six numbers. Personally I have no issue with HLF money being given to the Volks.

 

[Colossal Squid]

Thoughts on public money being used, to prop up a council owned facility..?

Aren't council facilities supposed to run on public money??

And besides, this is a lottery grant so it's hardly spending council funds that could be more usefully spent elsewhere. I can't see any downside.

Now when are they going to repair the rest of the crumbling Madeira Drive?

 

[beorhthelm]

Thoughts on public money being used, to prop up a council owned facility..?

a terrible idea, public money should onlt go towards essential and core public services. using donations, where people can input voluntarily, is great way to prop up a non-essential but desirable service. and it seems this Heritage Lottery Fund is set up for this very purpose.

 

[beorhthelm]

Now when are they going to repair the rest of the crumbling Madeira Drive?

are they allowed to? i havent followed this, but it seemed to me a similar scenario to the West Pier, conservationists insisting authentic restoration with original materials, which is far too expensive.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

If lottery funds are going to be spent on historic transport relics, would desprateseagull prefer the money to be spent elsewhere than in Brighton? If so, where?

 

[Official Old Man]

All for it.
Without knowing the costs to run the railway and the annual profits/losses made I'm not sure whether it is making any money. But in the hands of a private owner it quite possibly would have been either run into the ground and sold as scrap or be making an absolute fortune for some foreign company.

 

[GT49er]

All for it.
Without knowing the costs to run the railway and the annual profits/losses made I'm not sure whether it is making any money. But in the hands of a private owner it quite possibly would have been either run into the ground and sold as scrap or be making an absolute fortune for some foreign company.

Agree with most of this, but wouldn't be making anybody a fortune. It seems much less busy now than it was when I was a nipper (a fair while ago!) and were it not for volunteers I suspect it would be losing money (or losing more money than it already is).
Bit worried about the corporate crap in the statements, though - are their plans to spoil it by making 'improvements'?....."it will provide visitors with a new heritage experience based around the legacy that Magnus Volk left to the city of Brighton and Hove"..........
Visitors? Heritage experience? It's passengers wanting a ride on a train ffs!

 

[Vegas Seagull]

a terrible idea, public money should onlt go towards essential and core public services. using donations, where people can input voluntarily, is great way to prop up a non-essential but desirable service. and it seems this Heritage Lottery Fund is set up for this very purpose.

Like caring for millions of people that spend half their lives in the crisps aisle @ Tesco & then spend the rest of it in a weekly relationship with the NHS?

Marvellous railway & next up should be the arches, the longest cast iron structure in the World, which must be saved

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Hope they'll take adequate precautions to safeguard against mystery fires.