There is fresh hope the residential conversion of some of Scotland’s oldest railway buildings will now finally go ahead.
It comes after Angus Council approved changes to plans for six houses in the sheds at Newtyle station.
The buildings once formed part of the terminus of the Dundee and Newtyle Railway.
However, they have lain derelict for years.
And a variety of conversion proposals have failed to materialise.
Previous approval
But developer Simco Inveraldie received approval from Angus Council in April 2021 for the housing plan.
The firm began preparatory works on the B-listed sheds.
Those revealed some of the stonework to be in a worse state than first thought.
So planners have now given the green light for part of the north east elevation to be taken down.
The weak central section will be removed and filled in with a timber-clad wall to contrast the original stonework.
Developers say it will have no impact on the structural integrity of the buildings.
Angus planning officials agreed and have now given the revised plan a delegated approval.
“The proposal does not have a significant adverse impact on the character and appearance of the building or wider area,” they said.
“The demolition and rebuilding of the northeast elevation is justified and is acceptable.”
Conditional planning approval requires the existing roof trusses to be retained.
And although a survey found no bats in the building, planners want mitigation measures put in place to protect any that are discovered.
Plans show the six units to have an open-plan kitchen/living area and master bedroom on the ground floor.
There will be two further bedrooms on the first floor of each property.
The firm behind the project say they aim to create a ‘micro-community’ in the village.
Pioneering project
The Dundee and Newtyle Railway was the first in the north of Scotland when it was built in the 1830s.
But it struggled financially.
And by 1955 the line was shut.
Previous plans for the old sheds included offices and a proposal for four homes.
