Man offers £100 to stop demolition of train station worth £1m
Andy Erlam has offered to buy Brandon train station. Picture: Andy Erlam/Archant - Credit: Archant
A Brandon man has offered Greater Anglia £100 to buy a train station to prevent its demolition which he says would be an act of “corporate vandalism”.
Andy Erlam has offered £100 to buy Brandon station. Picture:: Sonya Duncan - Credit: Eastern Daily Press © 2010
Andy Erlam, 67, has offered the sum to buy Brandon station, on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, after negotiations with Greater Anglia and was asked to make an offer by Saturday, August 31 to prevent the demolition.
But Greater Anglia said it is not enough.
A spokesman said: "We will consider a proper business case backed by the funding of a minimum of £1m that would be needed to restore the building in the short term."
Mr Erlam wants to turn the 1830s building into offices and said station facilities including a toilet and a taxi freephone should be installed to improve the "abysmal facilities."
Brandon Station. Picture: Sonya Duncan - Credit: Eastern Daily Press © 2010
A move the writer said will cost about £250,000 while Greater Anglia said the demolition is to improve the facilities.
The spokesman added: "We are developing plans to improve customer facilities at Brandon station, including the provision of additional car parking.
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"By removing the building it would free up space to provide a more significant improvement to customer facilities.
"We believe with new trains currently being introduced on the line, which will generate more rail travellers, plus planned housing growth and increased commuting to Cambridge, our priority is to deliver better services and facilities for current and future rail passengers.
Andy Erlam has offered to buy Brandon train station. Picture: Andy Erlam - Credit: Archant
"We are prepared to consider a credible business case for restoration of the building at Brandon," the spokesman added.
"To date we have not received such a plan, nor is there any evidence that the proposal we have received to date would lead to early restoration of the property and appropriate ongoing maintenance of it."
Mr Erlam believes it should be kept for use by the public.
He said: "The building is a public asset owned by the public and of use to the public. It is quite wrong for a private company, which only leases it, to want only destroy it."
Andy Erlam has offered £100 to buy Brandon station. Picture:: Sonya Duncan - Credit: Eastern Daily Press © 2011
A demolition date has not been set for the station.
