BULLDOZERS will move in and demolish Trimley railway station before the end of the month, it was revealed today.Villagers trying to save the historic building now have only one hope left – that English Heritage will decide it is worth keeping.

BULLDOZERS will move in and demolish Trimley railway station before the end of the month, it was revealed today.

Villagers trying to save the historic building now have only one hope left – that English Heritage will decide it is worth keeping.

Even then, "listing" would need to happen soon to stop Network Rail carrying out its plan.

Attempts to persuade the company to look again at alternative uses for the Victorian building and carry out fresh marketing to try to attract a firm to take it over appear to have failed.

Trimley St Mary parish councillor Bryan Frost said: "We have made an application for listing and English Heritage say a decision is imminent, which we hope means a matter of days.

"However, Network Rail have now told Suffolk Coastal council the station building will be demolished before the end of March and a 4ft 6in wooden picket fence be placed across the gap.

"I have asked for a site meeting with Network Rail to discuss a constructive solution," Mr Frost said.

Network Rail – which took over ownership of the station from Railtrack – says the property is just too dangerous to leave standing.

Years of neglect, attacks by vandals and a deterioration in its structure mean the building is too expensive to maintain, needing £100,000 spent to restore it, and is "unsafe and has become a hazard".

Several campaigns to market the property have failed to find an alternative use. Demolition would allow extra car parking for customers and remove an eyesore.

While demolition will not affect the village's rail services, councillors do not want to see the building go as it is "of some character" and part of line's history.

Mr Frost said the canopy on the old disused platform would also be demolished as new 9ft 6in containers on freight trains would not pass beneath.

It was a great shame the station would be lost as many old station buildings are currently in use for businesses and other organisations, such as Bealings, Melton, Woodbridge and Felixstowe Beach Station, Mr Frost said.

"Network Rail apparently has a property portfolio of £2 billion and spending £100,000 on keeping this building and bringing back into use doesn't seem a lot to me on that scale," he added.

Mr Frost is now to contact the Parish Platform Project to see if the village would receive any help to smarten up the station.

n What do you think – is the station building worth saving? Write to Evening Star Letters, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or email EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk

WEBLINK: www.networkrail.com