ANTICIPATION is growing over plans to regenerate a railway museum, but a council leader has warned there will be only "one chance to get it right".

Plans aimed at securing the future of the council-run Head of Steam museum, in Darlington, will be put forward in the coming weeks.

It is hoped they will take shape in time for the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in ten years' time.

The project is still in the very early stages and politicians say they are keen to hear the views of stakeholders – including businesses, rail enthusiasts and the general public – before a masterplan is formulated.

Among the options being considered for the site are a micro-brewery with family-friendly pub, as well as a revamped railway exhibit that appeals to Darlington residents and tourists alike.

Darlington MP Jenny Chapman and Darlington Borough Council leader Bill Dixon met with interested parties on Tuesday (February 17).

Mrs Chapman hopes the end result will be something similar to the popular Richmond Station development, while Cllr Dixon said he envisions something similar to the Black Sheep brewery attraction, in Masham.

The MP said: "The people of Darlington care very deeply about the railway heritage of the town and the part it played in the birth of the railways.

"They want to celebrate that and to use it to promote tourism in the town.

"The Head of Steam, sadly, does not do that job adequately.

"Now we have a chance to work with artisans and railway enthusiasts to do a much, much better job on that site."

Cllr Dixon admitted that the museum, which is funded by the council, cannot survive in its current format.

He said: "There is a masterplan being put together, which will hopefully include not just a brewery, but an offer that will generate a revenue stream.

"The council has put aside £250,000 to keep the museum going, but as resources get more and more limited, it has got to stand on its own two feet.

"There is no way I want to see it close, but it has got to change to survive; it can't go on as it is."

Cllr Dixon said a public consultation on the plans would be launched once they are in place.

But he warned: "This is a one-shot game. We do not have the money to try again, we need to get it right first time."