Cotswold District Council aims to bring historic Old Station building back to life

Councillor Lisa Spivey, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, said, “The Old Station building has been owned by the Council for decades and since I can remember it has stood empty which is a travesty for such a historic building. 

“We are committing to explore our options for the building to preserve it and bring it back into use so that it has a long future ahead of it.

“It is in a prime location in the centre of Cirencester and so it is important we work hard to bring it back to life for the benefit of the local community and the local economy while preserving the heritage of the building.”

The Old Station building located in the centre of Cirencester used to be the station for the town before the railway was closed in 1965. It is a Grade 2 listed building and has sat vacant for a number of years. 

The building requires significant investment to repair the structure and make it suitable for use. Over the coming months the Council will be engaging with external specialists to look at options for what can be done with the building and what its future use could be. The Council will then look to make a decision on what to do later in the year.

Historic England have invited the Council to work with them on the project to use it as a case study for how the refurbishment of old buildings can be carried out in a way that looks to make the building as sustainable as possible in the future. They will be providing expertise during the project to help make the building sustainable, both in the refurbishment and ongoing maintenance and running.

“I am really pleased to have Historic England on board with the project so they can bring their expertise to the table. Hopefully this building can be used as a case study for refurbishing a historic structure in a way that helps tackle the climate emergency, paving the way for similar refurbishments across the country.”