Woody Bay Devon England United Kingdom - A landowner is hoping to derail a £16 million plan to extend a steam railway line in North Devon.
 
Louise Grob owns land alongside the track bed of the old narrow gauge railway on the outskirts of Barnstaple, which now runs between Woody Bay and Killington Lane Halt.
 
She has accused the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Trust of staging a "farce" of a public consultation in their bid to extend the railway by four miles to Wistlandpound Reservoir.
 
"As we understand it, the plans are a completely new layout, with road under passes and modern bridges," she said.
 
"It would mean the demolition of many homes en route to Barnstaple, whose residents have not been alerted to this planning proposal. It is not of historical accuracy and to call it a heritage railway is insulting to the values of heritage. We are all seduced by the nostalgic view of steam trains puffing through the English countryside, but that is a gross distortion of our ongoing nightmare."
 
The plans were unveiled at a public meeting last Saturday.
 
The trust would also restore the railway stations at Blackmoor and Parracombe, and create an engineering center and rolling-stock sheds at Blackmoor Gate.
 
Planning applications will be submitted shortly to the Exmoor National Park and North Devon planning authorities.
 
"The £16 million project could create about 80 jobs in the area, and is supported by local councillors, businesses, and landowners," Ian Cowling, Lynton & Barnstaple Railway trustee, said.
 
Mrs Grob said:  "We are appalled at the idea that not only will they try to compulsorily purchase our land but will also turn the Western Gate to our national park into something more akin to a theme park."
 
Mr. Cowling said there had been three previous public meetings and he had sent out 500 invitations to local residents to last Saturday's meeting.
 
He said he had arranged three face-to-face meetings with Mrs Grob, but she had cancelled them all.
 
He said the trust would need to buy four pieces of property, including one house which would have to be demolished.
 
The trust was proposing to build two affordable homes in its place if they could agree on a price.
 
"When complete, this will be North Devon's Eden Project," he said.
 
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