Proposal: Turning the Old Railway Line Into a Green Corridor
A disused railway line runs through your town. Write a proposal to the council for turning it into a green corridor, anticipating objections and explaining how the plan would be funded.
- Time
- 45 min
- Length
- 280-330 words
Writadia · C2 · Proposals
NameClassDate
The situation
A railway line that closed twenty years ago runs for six kilometres through the middle of your town. It is overgrown, fenced off and used mainly for dumping rubbish. The council has invited residents to submit proposals for its future. A developer has already suggested building a road on it.
Your task
Write a proposal to the council recommending that the line become a green corridor for walking, cycling and wildlife. Include:
- what the corridor would look like and who would use it
- the benefits compared with the road proposal
- how you would answer likely objections
- how the project could be funded
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Picture the corridor and describe it concretely: surfaces, entrances, lighting, planting.
- Choose three benefits and compare each with the road.
- List two objections a sceptical councillor might raise and answer each briefly.
- Suggest funding from more than one source.
- Use headings and a persuasive but professional tone.
Useful phrases
Introducing
Describing the plan
Anticipating objections
Funding
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- disused
- no longer usedThe disused line is full of rubbish.
- corridor
- a long narrow area connecting placesA green corridor for people and wildlife.
- anti-social behaviour
- actions that disturb or harm othersLighting reduces anti-social behaviour.
- match funding
- money given on condition that the same amount is raised elsewhereThe grant requires match funding.
- biodiversity
- the variety of plants and animals in an areaThe corridor would increase biodiversity.
Model answer (292 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
Introduction
This proposal sets out a plan to turn the disused railway line into a six-kilometre green corridor, and explains why it offers better long-term value than the proposed road.1
The plan
The route would follow the old track bed, with a three-metre surfaced path shared by walkers and cyclists and a strip of native planting on either side. Eight access points, including ramps for wheelchairs and pushchairs, would connect the corridor to two schools, the hospital and the station. Low-level lighting would cover the busiest two kilometres.
Benefits
A road would move cars more quickly through the town; the corridor would move people out of them. It would give children a safe, traffic-free route to school, give hospital staff an alternative to a congested ring road, and create a continuous habitat for birds and insects in a town that has lost most of its hedgerows.2 Unlike the road, it would also reduce rather than add to air pollution in the centre.
Possible objections
It may be argued that the path would attract anti-social behaviour. However, towns that have converted similar lines report the opposite: a well-used route is watched by its users, while a fenced, abandoned one invites exactly the dumping we see now.3 Concerns about cost could be addressed by building the corridor in three stages, starting with the section between the schools and the station.
Funding
The scheme could be funded through a combination of a national active-travel grant, which requires match funding, a contribution from the hospital trust, and volunteer planting days organised with local schools.
Conclusion
The corridor would turn a liability into one of the town's best assets. I recommend that the council reject the road proposal and commission a detailed design for the first stage.
- Aim and comparison in one sentence.
- Three benefits, each concrete and each tied to a group of people.
- Answers the objection with a reason, not just a denial.
Teacher notes
Focus: persuasive but professional. Highlight phrases in the model that persuade without exaggeration ("would turn a liability into an asset") and contrast them with weaker versions ("would be amazing").
Planning activity: half the class writes objections a councillor might raise; the other half writes answers. Swap.
Note: "match funding", "track bed" and "habitat" are useful pre-teach items.
Extra challenge
Write the developer's 100-word response defending the road. Then add one sentence to the proposal that answers it.
Lesson plan
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: disused, corridor, anti-social behaviour, match funding, biodiversity.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “This proposal sets out a plan to ... and explains why it offers better value than ...”, “The route would be divided into ..., each with ...”, “Access points at ... would connect ... to ...”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (280-330 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Assessment rubric
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task and content | In-depth, persuasive, fully suited to the reader. | Strong; one idea could go further. | Adequate but surface-level. | Below the task. | |
| Organisation and coherence | Seamless flow; elegant, unobtrusive transitions. | Clear structure; transitions sometimes mechanical. | Structure present but uneven. | Weak organisation. | |
| Vocabulary and style | Precise, natural collocations; consistent style. | Wide range; a few unnatural phrases. | Memorised phrases and repetition. | Style does not fit the task. | |
| Grammar and accuracy | Complex structures, flexible and accurate. | Minor, occasional slips. | Errors in complex structures. | Errors strain the reader. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I used headings.
- I described the corridor in concrete detail.
- I compared it directly with the road proposal.
- I answered at least one objection with a reason.
- I suggested more than one source of funding.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- I used headings.
- I described the corridor in concrete detail.
- I compared it directly with the road proposal.
- I answered at least one objection with a reason.
- I suggested more than one source of funding.
Writadia · C2 · Proposals
Assessment rubric: Proposal: Turning the Old Railway Line Into a Green Corridor
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task and content | In-depth, persuasive, fully suited to the reader. | Strong; one idea could go further. | Adequate but surface-level. | Below the task. | |
| Organisation and coherence | Seamless flow; elegant, unobtrusive transitions. | Clear structure; transitions sometimes mechanical. | Structure present but uneven. | Weak organisation. | |
| Vocabulary and style | Precise, natural collocations; consistent style. | Wide range; a few unnatural phrases. | Memorised phrases and repetition. | Style does not fit the task. | |
| Grammar and accuracy | Complex structures, flexible and accurate. | Minor, occasional slips. | Errors in complex structures. | Errors strain the reader. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I used headings.
- I described the corridor in concrete detail.
- I compared it directly with the road proposal.
- I answered at least one objection with a reason.
- I suggested more than one source of funding.
Teacher comment
Writadia · C2 · Proposals
Peer-review sheet: Proposal: Turning the Old Railway Line Into a Green Corridor
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I used headings. | |||
| I described the corridor in concrete detail. | |||
| I compared it directly with the road proposal. | |||
| I answered at least one objection with a reason. | |||
| I suggested more than one source of funding. |
Questions
- Is the main point clear in the first paragraph? Write it in one sentence.
- Which sentence is the most convincing? Why?
- Is there any repetition or memorised phrasing? Underline it.
- Does the style suit the reader and purpose?
Two stars and a wish
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Writadia · C2 · Proposals
Lesson plan: Proposal: Turning the Old Railway Line Into a Green Corridor
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: disused, corridor, anti-social behaviour, match funding, biodiversity.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “This proposal sets out a plan to ... and explains why it offers better value than ...”, “The route would be divided into ..., each with ...”, “Access points at ... would connect ... to ...”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (280-330 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
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