Full steam ahead for Ordsall Chord rail plan

A LEGAL challenge led by a heritage campaigner to block the £85m Ordsall Chord rail link in Manchester, has been dismissed.

Lawyers for campaigner Mark Whitby, a former president of the Institute of Civil Engineers, had sought to persuade a High Court judge that permission for the scheme should not have been given.

Linking Manchester’s three stations, Piccadilly, Oxford Road and Victoria, the  Ordsall Chord is part of £1bn+  improvement planned across the north.

It will improve capacity and enable faster, more frequent services between towns and cities across the north, as well as the creation of new direct routes to Manchester Airport.

A Network Rail spokesman said: “We welcome this decision as the Ordsall Chord forms a key part of our Railway Upgrade Plan for the north of England. More than £1bn is being invested to provide passengers with better services and we plan to start work on the Ordsall Chord as soon as possible.”

The judgment was handed down by Mrs Justice Lang in the Planning Court in London.  She dismissed all three claims made by Mark Whitby: two statutory challenges of the Transport and Works Act order, one of the Listed Building Consent and a judicial review of the planning permission.  Mrs Justice Lang also refused permission for Mr Whitby to appeal.

Network Rail said the development would support the delivery of: two new fast trains per hour between Manchester Victoria and Liverpool; six fast trains an hour between Leeds and Manchester; a new direct service through Manchester city centre to Manchester Airport and also faster journey times to Hull, Newcastle and the North East.

Mr Whitby, among others, raised concerns over the impact the scheme will have 30 ‘heritage assets’ standing along its route through Ordsall, including three Grade 1 listed buildings.