Plan to demolish old rail building deemed 'not of great significance' is derailed
A bid to partially demolish a vacant 19th century railway building in Walsall has been derailed by planning officers.
Developer MT Globex Ltd wanted to reduce the size of the former National Rail Maintenance Depot on land at the junction of Queen Street and Long Street, saying the existing building is in poor condition.
But Walsall Council planning officers said demolishing any part of the site would result in a loss of historical significance and character of the building.
The developer said reducing the size of the existing building by 50 per cent would be more manageable for the owners and allow for the yard to be prepared for commercial use.
It is believed the depot was built in the early 1890s and, while it is not locally or statutory listed, representatives for the owners said it was recorded on the historic environment record.
A heritage statement by En Plan said: “The original building is not of great significance as it is a poor state of repair and surrounded on all sides by modern development and it does not form part of a wider historic environment.
“However the applicants recognise the importance of the asset in the wider story of the railways in Walsall.
“The applicant has acknowledged the importance of the asset and this is reflected in the comprehensive programme of works that look to enhance the historic form of the building both internally and externally, but in a reduced footprint that allows for the commercial use of the site.”
But Walsall Council planning officers said: “The partial demolition of the Railway Maintenance Depot would not only result in the loss of the building’s historic form and function, but it would also impact upon the historic character and legibility of the building.
“The partial demolition of the last remaining depot building would be harmful to the significance of the Railway Maintenance Depot, and the scale of harm would be weighed as medium to high.
“No details have been put forward as to why the depot needs to be demolished other than it is in a poor state of repair, the reduced size would be manageable for the new owners and to allow the yard to be utilised for commercial use.
“No ecological surveys (namely bat survey) have been provided to assess the likely impact of the proposal on protected species, which have a reasonable likelihood of being affected by the proposal.”
