Nene Valley Railway: Final decision made on the future of historic railway buildings at Sutton

A final decision has been made regarding the future of the Victorian railway buildings at Sutton – they will be moved to Nene Valley Railway.

All of the buildings would have required demolition as they lie directly in the path of the proposed route of the new A47 dualling scheme from Wansford to Sutton, which is due to break ground in spring 2023.

This element of the railway line was closed back in 1929 due to financial constraints as another, similar, and more established railway line was already in existence between Stamford and Peterborough.

Given the historic nature of the old Wansford Road Station - it’s former name - National Highways wanted to avoid any demolition at the site and set about finding a way of saving the station buildings for future generations.

National Highways, who will put up the funding for the deconstruction, moving and reconstruction of the Victorian station as part of their ‘designated funding’ program have agreed a joint venture with Nene Valley Railway so that the buildings, which were opened in 1867, would be taken apart, brick by brick, and moved to a site just over seven miles away.

Why was a Sutton site proposed?

In June, local Sutton farmer and campaigner, Mr Robbie Reid, offered some of his land as an alternative relocation site.

He then encouraged the people from the village to protest, taking part in a summer solstice walk from the village church to the station site under the A47 – a distance of just over a mile – explaining that they wanted the buildings to remain in the Parish of Sutton, if at all possible.

National Highways invited applications from interested parties who had plans for the repurposing of the buildings, to submit their proposals.

Two applications were submitted – one from local farmer, Mr Robbie Reid, who offered land just across the other side of the proposed carriageway as a potential site for the buildings, and stated that he was keen to keep the heritage within the Parish of Sutton where they have been for the past 160 years.

The other application was a joint venture from Nene Valley Railway and Railworld Wildlife Haven.

Applications were to be judged on the nature of the repurposing, the long-term viability of the plan, and other considerations including local planning laws.

Earlier this week, Mr Reid voiced his frustration in the media that no final decisions had been taken.

So, where will the new station be re-built?

It now appears that the two applications have now been independently judged by Peterborough City Council’s Planning Department and Historic England (formerly English Heritage).

It has been decided that the Nene Valley Railway and Railworld Wildlife Haven site has been awarded the future use of the station buildings.

The plans from Nene Valley Railway and Railworld Wildlife Haven, show Wansford Road Station used as the new ‘gateway’ for the public as they enter the heritage railway running to and from Peterborough – and crucially, along part of the same branch line off to the north towards Stamford, that the station once was apart of.

Where can I see what the plans will look like?

An artist's impression of how the site might look has been submitted.

The plan is for the station to be carefully taken apart on a stone-by-stone basis, before being numbered and transferred to a site at Railworld Wildlife Haven.

There it will be stored ahead of being reconstructed at the nearby Nene Valley Railway.

Under the National Highways Designated Funds programme (which aims to assist projects that make a positive difference for people, the economy, and the planet), a sum of over £200,000 will be used to support the work giving Wansford Road Station a new lease of life.

Chris Griffin, National Highways programme lead in the East Region, said: “Breathing life into the old Wansford Road Station building, which has remained unused for a number of years now, was something we wanted to do as it currently sits in the path of the new A47 upgrade.

“We invited applications from interested parties who could repurpose the buildings.

“These were then independently judged by Historic England and Peterborough City Council, with a decision to dismantle and rebuild the station as part of the nearby Nene Valley Railway.

“Nene Valley Railway is a charity project maintaining part of the Victorian railway line that used to run from the east coast main line, and where Wansford Road Station formerly served as part of a northern branch line.”

‘Just wonderful’

Mike Kerfoot, chairman of Nene Valley Railway, said: “It is great news that we’ve been able to save this historic building, and I couldn’t think of a more appropriate use than to see the station put back on the right track, and once again fulfil its’ railway heritage."

“Our volunteers work to help cherish railway heritage from our past and preserve it for future generations to learn from and enjoy.

“The opportunity to bring history to life and return Wansford Road Station to the railway it was formerly a part of, is just wonderful.

“The station closed in 1929, and we aim to have it back in business and fulfilling its function as part of a working railway ahead of the 2029 centenary when the last ticket was sold, and someone stepped off the platform for the very last time.”

What has Robbie Reid said?

After hearing the news that his application had not been successful, a disappointed Robbie Reid said: “I was a thorn in the side of Highways England when I campaigned to have the route of the A47 moved to the north – which of course is the route they eventually agreed was the right one to take; but it took two and a half years to convince them.

“However, I suspect in doing so it gave them a reason to be reluctant to even let me put a relocation plan forward for the railway buildings, because once again I was messing up their process.

“At the end of the day, what really matters is that I wanted to save these buildings from being demolished. I wanted to see them repurposed for use by the whole community alongside the walking, cycling, horse-riding and safe animal causeway under the A47 that we proposed.

He added that this decision is a loss for the environment and the new road scheme.

“Nene Valley Railway are taking our buildings back to the Victorian era as their shiny new showpiece, while our community will simply end up with a hole in the ground where our station used to be, next to a rather grubby and undesirable underpass.

“Yes, I’m disappointed for the people and the Parish of Sutton, Wansford and Upton that our heritage will not be remaining near to our villages but, if that means these irreplaceable Victorian station buildings are saved, then I suppose I can live with that.”

By Local Democracy Reporting Service.