Network Rail: Job Lot and Campaign Group

network rail: Guardians of the Arches, a campaign group of more than 300 tenants, has already complained of rent rises imposed by Network Rail in the run-up to the sale, according to The Guardian. A spokesperson for the group said We continue to dispute whether selling off the whole estate in one job lot is the best way of supporting small businesses and the local economies which rely on them. The 1.46bn sale proceeds will help fund railway upgrades, Network Rail said, bringing major improvements for passengers and reducing the need for taxpayers to fund the railway . But the deal has sparked anxiety among tenants, which include independent shops, garages and craft breweries, amid concern that the new owners may impose unaffordable rents. Play Video 5 21 Death under the arches the businesses at risk due to rail sell-off - video The group had proposed alternatives such as local authorities buying smaller groups of arches. The shadow rail minister, Rachael Maskell, called on the transport secretary, Chris Grayling, to block the sale, which she said would undermine the financial sustainability of the railway and damage small and medium-sized enterprises across the country . The Society of Independent Brewers also voiced concern about the potential impact on brewers producing craft beer underneath the arches. It is now calling for an independent body to carry out an audit of leases included in the sale and publish information about rents and how they are set. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.