Cafe plans for derelict building on new rail line
BBCA disused building on a newly reopened railway line could be saved if planners back proposals for its renovation.
One structure at Bedlington station in Northumberland has already been demolished but plans have been submitted which would save the building on the northbound side.
It was used until 1964 when the line closed, and while passenger services on the Northumberland Line between Ashington and Newcastle resumed last year, a new station in Bedlington has not yet been completed.
East Bedlington Parish Council chair Keith Grimes said: "It's one of the oldest buildings in the parish, so it's definitely worth keeping."
John Mann CollectionOne of the original buildings, on the southbound side, was demolished last March, despite concerns raised by the South East Northumberland Rail User Group (SENRUG) and the Victorian Society.
But the northbound building is still standing and Grimes hopes it will become "a community asset".
"The challenge is raising the funds of course, because there's a lot of repairs needed," he said.
The plans would see it turned into a heritage-themed bistro and cafe, which would include historical artefacts telling the story of the railway and of Bedlington Station.
"We're trying to refurbish the building so it is very much as it would have looked when it was built and I'm hoping we'll be able to start work in the summer," he added.
The plans, put forward by the parish council, are also backed by Alex Wallace, Labour county councillor for the area, who remembers the building being used in the 1960s.
"It's a unique building, it's the last building from the original railway the public will still be able to use," he said.
"It's the heart of Bedlington station and part of our history because we made trains here which were used all around the world.
"It's so important that we remember that," he added.