East Lancashire Railway applies for Rawtenstall redevelopment

Rossendale Borough Council has received a planning application from the East Lancashire Railway for the redevelopment of Rawtenstall Station.

East Lancashire Railway says the £600,000 proposed development will see Rawtenstall Station redeveloped to ‘provide enhanced facilities for not only visitors to the East Lancashire Railway but the local community too’.

Planning permission is being sought for the following:

• Platform Canopy – The erection of an ‘L’ shaped canopy spanning the entire length and width of the station buildings.

• New Station Building – The construction of a 37 metre fully accessible building, accommodating a café, kitchen, activity/community room, tourist information centre and toilet and baby changing facilities.

• Alterations to Existing Station Building – The expansion of Buffer Stops Bar and relocation of current toilet facilities.

• New Station Forecourt – The attractive remodelling of existing outside space, including landscaping, sheltered cycle stands and picnic areas.

Mike Kelly, East Lancashire Railway Chairman, said:

“This is a very exciting time for us here at the ELR with record levels of growth in visitors and hosting a wide range of diverse events.  Working in partnership with Rossendale Borough Council and Lancashire County Council, the redevelopment of Rawtenstall Station is one of our top priorities for the future which will see a doubling of the number of jobs and thousands of additional visitors using the facilities at the station and hopefully travelling on the railway. We have spent the last few months working with the team at Equilibrium Architects to come up with a design that is both in keeping with the station’s traditional appearance, yet boasting modern, high quality facilities.”

Leader of Rossendale Borough Council, Councillor Alyson Barnes said:

“This sounds like good news for both Rawtenstall and the East Lancashire Railway and although it has to go through the planning process it is a step in the right direction.”