APPROVALS for details as part of a planning application for a new visitor centre at Darlington's Railway Heritage Quarter have been submitted to Darlington Borough Council.

A design and access statement for the development describes the Railway Heritage Quarter as a unique and authentic visitor attraction that reveals the story of the Stockton to Darlington Railway and the local communities who saw an opportunity and seized it, and in doing so they transformed the rail industry in the process.

It adds: "The Railway Heritage Quarter will form a key attraction along the 26 miles of the Stockton and Darlington Railway Heritage Action Zone and will play a key role in attracting visitors to the area.

"It will tell the story of 200 years of the Stockton and Darlington Railway and will complement other visitor attractions along the line and with the region.

"The project is to be complete by 2025 in time for the bicentenary celebrations and it will be one of the main attractions in the region."

In summary the scheme comprises:

• Goods Shed – Visitor centre, café and display space in carefully repaired, remodelled and refurbished Grade II* listed building

• Head of Steam– Major exhibition and interpretation space in refurbished Grade II* listed building

• Carriage Works – Archive, study area, function and temporary exhibition space in remodelled and refurbished Grade II listed building

• 1861 Building – A facility for the repair, maintenance, storage and display of locomotives and associated rail artifacts housed within this repaired and extended historic railway shed. It is envisaged that this building will be occupied and operated by two separate organisations

• Live Engineering Works – A purpose-built contemporary facility for the creation and maintenance of new steam locomotives by A1 Steam Locomotive Trust with public viewing and interpretative facilities 4th Bridge/Link Bridge – New pedestrian bridge linking the main public heritage quarter facilities and spaces south of the railway line with the more engineering biased accommodation to the north, including a direct link to the viewing and interpretative facilities within the Live Engineering Works.

• Landscaping to include: car parking; entrance plaza; external exhibition space; events space; play space and viewing areas.

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