The development of Bridgnorth Station in preservation

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Newly-opened refreshment room (December 2018)

This page gives a history of the major developments at Bridgnorth station since preservation began in 1965.

Early developments

After closure by BR, the station building remained intact and The Railwayman's Arms continued in use. The goods shed and platforms also remained relatively unchanged, so early preservation mainly entailed reinstating track and signalling, and refurbishing the existing infrastructure including locomotive watering facilities. The main changes to the station site since that time have been:

Signal box

Bridgnorth signal box, which had been partially demolished by BR after closure, was rebuilt in the late 1960s prior to reopening.

Bridgnorth Loco Works

Bridgnorth Loco Works developed over time, with the loco shed being built in the 1970s and the boiler shop in the 1980s.

Platforms

The south end of Platform 1 was extended by around 200ft in 1981, and the north end was also extended in early 2016, so that 9-coach trains can be fully 'on platform'.

Bridgnorth Development Project

Artist's impression of the new station building beyond the footbridge, with the existing building in the foreground.

Artist's impression of the new station building looking north.

Elevations for Listed building alterations in June 2021 in association with the reconstruction of the former parcels office and change of use to a shop.

Floorplan for Listed building alterations in June 2021 in association with the reconstruction of the former parcels office and change of use to a shop.

Redevelopment of the Bridgnorth site has been the subject of an ongoing project since first being mooted in 2009.

Objectives

The first phase of which saw the long-overdue removal of the Portacabin style Refreshment room (installed in 1979 "as a temporary measure"; previous buffet facilities having been in an old BR Mk 1 Tourist Second Open), and its replacement with a circa-1900 Great Western style single-storey building which is located to the south of the existing Jacobean style station building.

The 'Inchcape' site

On 17 June 2014 David Postle attended an SVR(H) Board meeting to propose the acquisition of the adjacent 'Inchcape' site at ‘no cost’ to the railway, leasing the site at a cost of £65,000 per annum for three years with an option to purchase at a price of £1,200,000. Together with colleagues he offered that the first three years' costs would be underwritten so that there would be no financial impact on the railway. The Board considered that the price was over-stated as advisors had indicated a market value of approximately £750,000.

Evolution of plans

Other phases should also see the refurbishment of the existing station building including the booking hall, shop and Railwayman's Arms, and the installation of a turntable. Subject to funding, a further phase will see construction of a new volunteer accommodation building. A summary of the evolution of plans is shown below.

Project	2012 share offer	2016 share offer	September 2018	SVR News 204 Winter 2018	Branch Lines October 2020	Notes
New catering and toilets	Included	Phase I, reduced height and size	Phase I	Phase I		Opened January 2019. Non-uniformed staff catering from 2018 included in the Graham Hill building (next to the Boilershop)
Refurbished station	Included	Phase I	Phase III	Phase IV	Phase I	In November 2016 work was continuing on detailed plans for the refurbishment of the existing station, with the contract for the remaining works of the first phase to be signed in January 2017. In September 2018 plans and costs were incomplete and "will inevitably take a period of time to reconcile". Works were not to begin before Winter 2019/20 to develop the plans, apply for funding and a period of calm. In October 2020 it required detailed plans to be drawn up before going for confirmed costings. In June 2021 the SVR applied for Listed building alterations (see 'Milestones' below)
New car park in fields	Included	Phase II	Phase II	Phase II		Opened December 2018
Turntable, renewal of track work in Bridgnorth yard along with the provision of a new loco pit	Included	Phase II	Phase IIb (TBC)	Phase III	Phase II	As of October 2020, there will be a need to raise further finance, once Phase I is completed.
Volunteer accommodation	Included, in plans for Hollybush Road sidings	Phase III*	Phase IV	Not included		*Funds for Phase III were not within the 2016 share offer of £2.5m. Intended as part of workshop and stores to rear of MPD, a storage block is now not urgently required. The SVR will reconsider how best to provide volunteer accommodation, this was then unlikely to commence until 2021 because of the current commitments on civils and building projects.
Independent mobility across the site	Included, by means of additional lifts at the north end of the station	Not included	Not included	Not included
Public viewing area for MPD	Included	Not included	Not included	Not included
New visitor centre	Included	Not included	Not included	Not included

In October 2020 the SVR reverted to the phasing in the 2016 prospectus, with conservation of the Bridgnorth station building prioritised as a phase I project for the remaining share monies.

Milestones

Major milestones in the project have been as follows:

• October 2009: Plans for a refurbishment of the Bridgnorth station site began with the announcement of the Project Development Teams.
• October 2012: The SVR launched a share offer to raise funds for various objectives, including developing the Bridgnorth Station site. Plans and illustrations of the proposed development were put on public display at Bridgnorth, attended by the steering group and architectural team to provide answers to questions and receive comments. Written comments submitted were published, over 100 in total, with "Overall, the feedback has been very positive with over 70% of people attending the exhibition being supportive, albeit with comments both practical and aesthetic as to how the proposals could be improved" (SVR General Manager).
• March 2013: Following criticism of the initial plans, which some considered out of character with the existing station, the SVR(H) Board resolved on 19 March to establish a Conservation and Heritage Committee under the Chairmanship of David Postle.
• September 2015: New plans and illustrations of the proposed development were put on public display in the booking office at Bridgnorth.
• January 2016: The planning application was submitted to Shropshire Council on 13 January.
• August 2016: The planning application was approved by the Council.
• November 2016:

The SVR launched a further share offer seeking to raise £2.5m towards the project. The share offer document confirmed that £1m from the 2012 share offer been spent or committed to the project, and that the additional £2.5m was required to meet the anticipated costs of completing Phase One (station buildings) and Phase Two (car parking and turntable). A third phase (new accommodation building) was not part of the share offer.

Contractors arrived on site to begin work on the first phase, some preliminary work having already been carried out by SVR staff and volunteers. Completion was initially expected to be in mid-2017.

• December 2016: Installation of all 63 piles completed.
• April 2017: Construction of the base for the new station building, originally targetted for January, was completed.
• May 2017: Bricklaying began at a ceremony on 3 May. A revised target date of October 2017 was imtimated for the new building.
• October 2017: It was announced the new facility would not provide for staff meals "across the whole service" as beforehand, due to the dimensions of the new buffet. A Working Group was set up to utilise instead the Engineering Services mess room for volunteer catering.
• October 2017: Proceeds from the share offer reached the target on the final day: it raised £2,548,595 gross, £2,427,348 net of costs. £807,000 was allocated from the 2012 share monies giving a net total of £3,234,348 for the project. Work continued on the building structure.
• March 2018: First phase work, much delayed, continued with the first roof slates being laid by the end of the month. A project team was working on the specification of the West side project, which includes the field car park, access roads and turntable. It was intended to tender for this phase during the summer of 2018.
• April 2018 roofing took place and the scaffolding was largely removed from the exterior of the building
• June 2018 In the rear service yard area, the “Bovey Tracey” outbuilding building had the framework erected and covered in breathable felt ready for the external corrugated cladding to be applied. This is based on a goods lock up that used to adorn Bovey Tracey station on the Moretonhampstead branch in Devon. The SVR version serves as a plant room housing the heating boiler and food preparation area for the volunteer Severn Valley Venturer catering staff.
• July 2018 a completion and hand-over was forecast for the third week in July. This was followed by a revised plan to open on 3 September. An announcement in September gave a date of end of 2018, with a formal opening in Spring 2019.
• October 2018 the former ‘overflow’ parking field was closed for contractors to construct a carefully surfaced, illuminated 200-space visitor West car park and access/egress routes. Walsh Construction successfully tendered for this work at a cost of £642,000. It opened in December 2018 with further works in the New Year. Barriers and parking charges came into use on 14 April 2019.
• December 2018 the contractors' site offices and associated buildings were removed from the station car park following the practical completion of the much delayed, as yet unopened, new station building. The toilets and (unfinished) new car park opened. On 19 December the planning application for the proposed relocation of the turntable was withdrawn.
• January 2019 the new Bridgnorth Refreshment Room opened daily during closed season. The official opening was 4 April.
• On 12 March 2019 the planning application for the proposed relocation of the turntable was resubmitted. Approval was granted on 30 April 2019.
• In June 2021 the SVR applied for Listed building alterations in association with the conservation, renovation and reordering of Bridgnorth station, including reconstruction of the former parcels office and change of use to a shop.
• In autumn 2023 work commenced on converting the former ladies' toilet to a new SVR Engineering (ESMP) office, which had been occupied by June 2024. This use is seemingly incompatible with the previously announced plans to relocate the shop and reinstate the waiting room.

SVR(H) Annual Reports give the total capital sums spent on the Bridgnorth project to the end of 2020 as £3,236k comprising:

• 2015: £90k
• 2016: £243k
• 2017: £551k (all three years from the 2012 share issue)
• 2018: £1,693k (principally £1,188k refreshment room/toilet block and £493k new car park/access roads)
• 2019: £625k (final payments and retention monies for the refreshment room/toilet block and new car park/access roads)
• 2020: £17,289 on the refreshment room, disabled toilet block, car park and access roads.
• 2022: £31,624 on windows, roof and professional fees.

In October 2019 the SVR issued an update suggesting the next phase (the Bridgnorth Turntable pit, restoration of the Turntable, renewal of track work in Bridgnorth yard and the provision of a new loco pit) would be delayed until further quotes were obtained and plans developed. The full announcement may be read on SVRLive here. Previous updates on this project including pictures of the work in progress can be found on the SVRLive Bridgnorth Development page.

In October 2020, the SVR announced that there was £264,000 remaining share monies, which was ring-fenced for the remaining phase I of the project (the Bridgnorth station building conservation and extension of the bar). It required detailed plans to be drawn up before going for confirmed costings. Phase II of the project, which includes the turntable and renewal of track work in Bridgnorth yard along with the provision of a new loco pit, will follow, but there will be a need to raise further finance, once Phase I is completed.

By November 2021 the start date of work on the station building had been put back from 2022 to 2023, and the turntable delayed until after the yard had been relaid. By August 2022 the building conservation and renovation was 'unlikely to go ahead until 2024 at the earliest' with a £300,000 funding gap having opened by rising costs since the work was first deferred.

• 
  Proposed site plan on display, September 2015
• 
  The completed base for the new building, April 2017.
• 
  View of the roof on 1 April 2018
• 
  Following a concrete pour to extend the terrace, July 2018

British Rail or British Railways

Severn Valley Railway

Motive Power Depot

Notice Board Issue. The SVR's on-line method of circulating information to working members.