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Project update - the Trimley Station
Community Trust has been set up and hopes to officially become a
charity and attract volunteers to help them to turn the
historic building into a locally run and used asset, read the press
release Volunteers set up company to save Trimley
station. |
Trimley station is the last Victorian station building left in
the county built by the Great Eastern Railway so it is really
important that this piece of architectural heritage remains to be
used and appreciated by the community.
As its state of repair is rapidly declining, Network Rail
expressed their intention to demolish the station building after
deeming it unviable to maintain. This sparked off a lot of local
interest and many residents called for the building to be
saved.
A public meeting was held in November 2009 to discuss the
situation and come up with a plan to save the building.
The meeting was very well attended and led to the formation
of a ‘Friends of Trimley Station’ group.
Network Rail were impressed by the reaction from local residents
and the formation of a 'Friends' group along with proposals for
possible use of the building and they granted the building a
reprieve from being demolished.
Work was undertaken by Suffolk Coastal District Council,
Felixstowe Futures, the Friends of Trimley Station and Trimley
Parish Council to try and establish a long term use for the station
building and a business plan was submitted to Network
Rail to forestall its demolition.
Seeking community views
For the business plan to be successful, it was important that
the proposed usage of the station building genuinely meets the
needs of residents, community groups and local businesses.
Questionnaires were issued to residents, local community groups,
rail travellers and estate agents to obtain feedback for the
business plan. You can view the results of the questionnaire by
following the link below:
Trimley Station Community Trust established
A new company, the Trimley Station Community Trust, has been set
up and hopes to officially become a charity and attract volunteers
to help them achieve the goal of turning the historic building into
a locally run and used asset.
The Friends of Trimley Station and the East Suffolk Preservation
Trust have joined forces and expertise to form the company so it
could agree a short-term lease with Network Rail to take on the
management of the building.
The goal is to turn the building into a community cafe, with a
large meeting room and an office space. What the Trust now needs is
to secure the funding it requires to make it all possible, as well
enlisting the help of volunteers to carry out activities to support
their aims.
Network Rail has promised that if the group is successful in
their efforts to protect the building and gain the necessary
funding that it would grant a long-term lease for the building.
Many people have signed up as Friends but now they and others
are needed to step forward and help with activities like press and
promotion, fund-raising, or assessing the state of the building,
offering material to help improve it, or carrying out some of the
necessary work. Anyone with any relevant skills or time should
contact the Trust secretary Peter Wain at
trimleystationtrust@gmail.com.
