Repairs to Green Park Station in Bath could soon get underway to fix the damage caused by a “particularly nasty and intense” fire that ripped through the station earlier this year.
The roof was severely damaged in the fire | Photo © Bath Echo
The fire began in the small hours of 23rd April this year, first ripping through wooden sheds used as shops in the former railway station before spreading to the roof of the historic building.
Six fire engines from Avon Fire & Rescue Service attended to battle the blaze.
The fire broke out just days after the completion of a major multi-month operation to replace the glass in the station roof and its support system.
Some of the new roof was damaged in the fire, along with “widespread damage” to the south side of the station.
A planning application has now been submitted to Bath and North East Somerset Council to repair the fire damage.
In the application, chartered building surveyor Nick Matthews said: “Whilst the scale of the repair is quite extensive, extending over nearly 3 bays, it does represent a relatively small portion of the overall station complex.”
The repairs will involve stripping away the fire-damaged materials and reinstating the roof “like-for-like”.
Work will soon begin to repair the damage caused by the fire | Photo © Bath Echo
Replacement rafters will be installed and new boarding installed on the south side of the building which will be redecorated to match the colour of the original.
The suggestion of installing a temporary protection roof over the station was ruled out.
Mr Matthews said: “Part of the problem is the sheer scale of such a roof.” He warned that temporary protection would need to span the whole width of the station and would be at risk of blowing away, and said that they should proceed with immediate roofing repairs instead.
Bath & North East Somerset Council will now consider the proposed plan for the repairs, aiming to decide whether to grant listed building consent for the repairs by 20th November.
Green Park Station was opened in 1868 but closed almost a hundred years later in 1966 as the west-facing terminus struggled to compete with the Great Western Railway’s Bath Spa station and its connections to London. The station has been Grade II listed since 1971.
Bath City Council bought the redundant station in 1974 and it is on a long lease to Sainsbury’s, who own the neighbouring supermarket and are responsible for the station’s upkeep.
Mr Matthews said: “Sainsbury’s are committed to resolving this problem and getting Green Park Station back into use as quickly as possible.”
You can view and comment on the application here.
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter
