Victorian Society calls for Bedlington Station building to be saved

The Victorian Society is urging Network Rail to preserve the former ticket office at Bedlington Station.

Planning permission to demolish the station’s south building were approved last month as part of huge works to restore passenger trains between Newcastle and Ashington from next year.

Despite the approval, the Victorian Society is urging Network Rail to change its mind and bring this bit of local history back into use.

Guy Newton, its conservation adviser, said: “The Victorian Society supports the reopening of this historic transport link. However, this doesn’t require the destruction this important bit of local heritage.

"In a climate emergency we must try to reuse and recycling buildings such as this, following Historic England’s guidance. the decision seems contrary to Network Rail’s own policy on sustainability.

"The south building could be restored and used as a waiting room to shelter those using the railway on cold and wet days. This would ultimately make passengers more likely to use the re-opened station assuring its success.”

More than 1,000 people also signed a petition calling for the derelict structure to be saved and converted into a heritage centre and community hub.

But Northumberland County Council officials argued that the building, thought to date from between 1900 and 1910 and the smaller of two station buildings on Bedlington’s redundant platform, would be too costly to retain.

The local authority’s planning committee heard that “expensive and complicated” underpinning works, expected to cost between £375,000 and £575,000, would be needed to shore up the station’s southern building while work to rebuild the platform is completed.