All posts by ianr

Bluebell Railway faces potential coal crisis

Steam attractions in the South East, such as Bluebell Railway, are facing a “crisis” due to a shortage of domestic coal, campaigners say.

Calls are being made for more coal investment to help steam railways, such as the Kent and East Sussex Railway in Tenterden, and the Bluebell Railway in Uckfield, East Sussex.

The last UK dry-steam mine near Merthyl Tydfil, Wales, is set to close in 2022.

The heritage railway sector says it may have to rely on poor-quality imports which will increase costs.

William Giles, a steam expert and organiser of the Weald of Kent Steam Rally event, said: “The planned closure of the last UK coal mines at the end of 2022 puts the heritage steam sector in crisis.
“Steam railways such as the Kent and East Sussex Railway and Bluebell Railway will be affected.”

He said the industry needed the government to provide new and renewed licences for coal mining “in the same way that they’re doing for the oil and gas sectors”.

Matt Hyner, a trustee of the Kent and East Sussex Railway, said the closure of the UK’s last mine would affect tourists too, with a predicted increase in ticket prices to help cover costs.

He said: “Fundamentally it will mean that we can’t afford to run as many steam services as we’d like.
“That’s already impacting some of the other railways in the UK that haven’t been able to secure stocks of the remaining UK coal, so they’re reducing their services and we’ll have to do the same later this year.”

Mr Giles also said a lack of Russian coal due to the sanctions imposed during the war in Ukraine also raised concerns about coal supply.

Heritage Watch, a public body which aims to prevent and detect crimes against UK heritage sites and organisations, said the steam sector may have to rely on imports.

The body described the imports as “lower quality house coal” from countries such as Kazakhstan and Colombia.
Samantha Williams, from Heritage Watch, said the issue could cause the loss of steam heritage in the UK altogether.

Ms Williams added: “Can you imagine that your grandchildren or great grandchildren don’t know what a steam engine sounds like, what it smells like, and to see an engine run along the tracks as their ancestors would have done? That will just disappear completely and that just shouldn’t happen.”

If you have news for Sussex and Surrey, contact us on news@susyradio.com

Face masks advised at local polling stations

With only a few days left until Reigate & Banstead voters go to the polls on 5 May, Reigate & Banstead Borough Council is urging voters to get ready to vote in the local elections.

Those voting in person will be sent a poll card in the run up to polling day which will tell them where they should go to cast their vote.

Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 5 May. Staff will be on hand at polling stations to assist voters with any questions about filling out their ballot paper.

There will be some public health measures in place at polling stations to make sure polling stations are safe places to vote, such as screens, hand sanitiser and regular cleaning. To help keep themselves and others safe, we ask voters to:

• wear a face covering inside the polling station
• use the hand sanitiser provided when entering and leaving the polling station
• keeping a safe distance from others
• bring your own pen or pencil to mark your ballot paper, if possible.

Voters who have opted to vote by post must return their postal ballot pack by 10pm; they can hand it in at their polling station if they don’t have time to return it by post.

Mari Roberts-Wood, Electoral Registration Officer for Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, said: “Make sure you check the information on your poll card in before going to vote, as your polling station might have changed since the last election. You do not need your poll card to vote, but we encourage you to bring it with you to make the process quicker and more efficient. Please also follow our safety measures to keep voters and our staff safe.”

If you are self-isolating or become unwell as a result of Covid-19, you don’t need to lose your vote. Voters have up to 5pm on polling day to apply for an emergency proxy so that someone you trust can vote on their behalf by calling our elections line on 01737 276794 or email elreg@reigate-banstead.gov.uk to request an application form.

If you have news for Sussex and Surrey, contact us on news@susyradio.com

Wanted by Police for Crawley Burglary

Police are appealing for information to identify two men they’d like to speak to about an assault and burglary in Crawley.

Photo: Sussex Police

Officers were called to Juniper Road 30 March to a report of a man being attacked after discovering his garage was being broken into.

The victim was punched and suffered minor injuries, before the suspects left the scene in a van.

Officers have now identified two men they believe could assist with their enquiries as shown above.

Anyone who recognises them, or who has any other information or relevant CCTV / dash cam footage, is urged to contact police online or via 101 quoting serial 587 of 30/03.

If you have news for Sussex and Surrey, contact us on news@susyradio.com

National Stalking Awareness Week

Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne, along with the force are reminding people that assistance and advice is available in support of National Stalking Awareness Week.

The event called “Bridging the Gap” is taking place now until 29th April.

In an extra move to help increase awareness of the stalking issue, some police cars on the streets of the county have messaging that highlights the ‘FOUR’ behaviours of Stalking (Fixated, Obsessive, Unwanted & Repeated).

You can visit the Sussex Police website to learn more about stalking and harassment and how to report it as a crime.

If you have news for Sussex and Surrey, contact us on news@susyradio.com

Free Range eggs to return

Free-range eggs will soon be back on the shelves as measures aimed at stopping the spread of bird flu are lifted.

The mandatory housing of animals – which was introduced last November – will be dropped from the start of May.

For the past month, produce has been labelled ‘barn eggs’ instead of free range because of poultry having to be kept indoors.

If you have news for Sussex and Surrey, contact us on news@susyradio.com