1 Retford Railway Station BC.HUD.2020.00492.006 Design, Access

London North Eastern Railway Retford Station – Station Management Office Refurbishment Retford Railway Station BC.HUD.2020.00492.006 Design, Access and Heritage Support Statement 16 December 2020 1 London North Eastern Railway Retford Station – Station Management Office Refurbishment Design, Access and Heritage Support Statement Page 1.1.0 Introduction & Statement of Intent 3 1.2.0 Retford Railway Station 3 1.3.0 Station Buildings and Layout 4 1.4.0 Station History 4 1.5.0 Listing 5 1.6.0 Background to the Development Proposals 6 1.7.0 Proposed Works – Overview 6 1.8.0 Heritage Impact Assessment 7 1.9.0 Design Statement 11 1.10.0 Access Statement 11 1.11.0 Summary 12 1.12.0 Sustainability 12 1.13.0 Construction Waste 13 1.14.0 Drawing Register 13 2 London North Eastern Railway Retford Station – Station Management Office Refurbishment 1.0 Design, Access and Heritage Statement 1.1.0 Introduction & Statement of Intent 1.1.1 This statement has been written to support the information submitted as part of the Listed Building Consent application in relation to the proposed refurbishment of the station management office for Retford Railway Station on behalf of the applicant, London North Eastern Railway. 1.1.2 Retford Railway Station, is a Grade II Listed building, located in the southern quadrant at the centre of Retford. The aim of this report is to outline the rationale behind the proposed refurbishment and to evaluate the potential impact to existing buildings nearby. This report will include a review of the station buildings and layout, the station history, details of the listing, an overview of the proposed works, a heritage impact assessment, a design statement, an access statement, details of sustainability regarding construction waste, and a drawing register. 1.1.3 The refurbishment of the Station Manager’s Office captured within this application, will be intended to provide better welfare and security facilities for staff and improved accessibility for customers. 1.1.4 In determining this application, the Local Planning Authority will consider various planning considerations including guidance within the National Planning Policy Framework and associated Local Authority Development Plan. These considerations have been assessed and we believe the proposed works will have negligible impact upon the setting of Retford Railway Station 1.1.5 This report should be read in conjunction with the drawings submitted with the Listed Building application and detailed in section 1.14 of this report. 1.2.0 Retford Railway Station Image 1 - Retford Railway Station 1.2.1 Retford Railway Station is a junction station located on the London to Edinburgh route. Dating from 1891-1892, the station is principally of brick construction with a timber structure, with later additions including a mixture of modern brick and block to the platform 2. 1.2.2 Image 1 shows how the station and the railway line it serves are oriented on a north west to south east axis. The station is to the south of central Retford. The north west side has the main concourse, parking, costa coffee, main waiting room with 3 London North Eastern Railway Retford Station – Station Management Office Refurbishment toilets and subway system to access the other platforms. Adjacent land uses include a commercial property to the south west. 1.2.3 The station has seen a steady increase in passenger numbers over the last decade, with over five-hundred thousand rail passengers in the last recorded year (2020/2021), however it has increased by 4.2% compared to previous study. The station is managed by London North Eastern Railway who operate a (typically) hourly service through Retford between London Kings Cross and destinations such as Edinburgh Waverley. Hourly services to and not limited to, Lincoln, York and Sheffield. CrossCountry, Northern Rail and Grand Central operate services to the North and South, allowing the diversity in journey destination. 1.2.4 The remodelling entailed with the refurbishment works described under this application are located to the northern side of the station, sited where the station managers office is presently situated. Proposed works are summarised below: • Platform doorway to be widened and concrete step removed; • Existing partition wall to be removed and replaced with a new dividing wall; • Installation of a new accessible counter with access hatch; • New 1.8metre high partition for staff privacy; • Relocation of staff toilet and to be made DDA compliant; • Blocked opening to be reinstated as a staff accessway, and • Installation of new kitchen units. 1.3.0 Station Buildings and Layout 1.3.1 The station compromises of 4 platforms, which are accessed through a subway. The station is located on the east side of the rail tracks and has a very long, linear plan roughly aligned north-south. The original plan, which has changed very little, is shown on the architect’s plans to have consisted of (from the left): urinals, office, ladies’ second class waiting room, anteroom and WCs, ladies’ first class waiting room, the Stationmaster’s house, dining room, refreshment room, gentlemen’s waiting room, Inspector’s office, booking hall, booking office, parcels and cloakroom, telegraph office, public office, Stationmaster’s office, urinals, Porter’s room, Guard’s room, lamp room and fish store. 1.3.2 The main station building is limited to public access as the majority of the station is for authorised access. The public area include, a ticket hall which acts as the main entrance, platform access and ticket office. An assistance meeting point is located in the Ticket Office, within the main concourse. 1.3.3 Station refreshments comprise of a Costa Coffee situated on Platform 1. There are sheltered waiting areas on platform 1 and platform 2. The toilets are located on Platforms 1 and 2. The toilets are located in the Waiting Room on Platform 1; these toilets are operated by a RADAR key. 1.3.4 Wheelchair users can use car park equipment at this station with unaided parking made free for Blue Badge holders parking in disabled spaces and by displaying a valid International Blue Badge. 1.3.5 Lifts are available serving platforms 1, 2 and 4. Access to platform 3 is via a stepped footbridge or with staff across the barrow crossing. Retford has an RNIB ‘Map for All’ located outside the main entrance to the left of the doors. 4 London North Eastern Railway Retford Station – Station Management Office Refurbishment 1.4.0 Station History 1.4.1 Retford Railway Station was built 1891-1892 by the Great Northern Railway (GNR) on the site of an earlier station which had originally opened in 1852. This had mostly consisted of timber structures probably designed by the GNR's architect Henry Goddard who was responsible for most of the other stations built on this line between 1850 and 1852.’ 1.4.2 The facilities at the station were later found to be insufficient for the large number of passengers resulting from Retford’s important position at the junction of the York to London and Lincoln to Manchester lines, so in 1886 the GNR announced that they were to be improved. After a delay of several years, it was reported in the Retford Times (21 November 1890) that the GNR had ‘ordered such additions to the station as will make it practically a new one. A new and extensive range of white brick buildings, comprising waiting rooms, refreshment rooms, and all necessary buildings required for a complete station will be erected. 1.4.3 The new station, built in the Italianate villa style favoured by the GNR, was constructed by Messrs Arnold and Sons of Doncaster at a cost of approximately £17,000. It was designed by Goddard, but it is not known whether it was Henry Goddard who was responsible. He was still working in the 1890s, but he belonged to a prolific and successful family practice based in Leicester, which came to be known as Goddard, Paget and Goddard, so another architect in the partnership could have carried out the design. There are many buildings on the List associated with this practice, notably the Grade II* listed former Leicestershire Banking Co. Headquarters on Granby Street (1872-74) and the prominent Grade II listed Gothic revival Clock Tower in the Haymarket (1868), both in Leicester. The first and second edition Ordnance Survey maps of 1886 and 1899 depict two signal boxes to the north and south of the station, both of which were removed in 1961. 1.4.4 The buildings shown on the far side of the tracks on the 1899 map have also been removed and replaced by a plain brick, flat-roofed waiting room. In 1931 the old booking office was modernised, although some of the original panelling was retained. Between 1940 and 1946 the Women’s Voluntary Service used the station as a canteen and rest room serving HM and Allied Forces 2,284,000 meals during the Second World War. The Stationmaster’s house has not been used since the early 1950s. This is known locally as the Catering Manager’s house, as the Stationmaster’s house is thought to be on the opposite side of the road. 1.5.0 Listing 1.5.1 English Heritage identifies the station as a Grade II Listed Building, as follows: Name: Retford Railway Station and gate piers with attached walls to north List Entry Number: 1470324 Date First Listed: 09 July 2020 Details: Retford Railway Station, built 1891-1892 by the Great Northern Railway to the designs of Goddard, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: 1) Architectural interest: a.

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