Published on: Friday, 12 January 2018
Last updated: Friday, 12 January 2018
Greater Anglia is offering empty spaces in stations to local communities across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.
As stations have evolved over the years, unused or under-utilised rooms have become available and many have the potential to be used as community assets.
Stations such as Burnham-on-Crouch, Lowestoft and Reedham have successful schemes where station buildings have been reborn with a new purpose for a new era.
At Reedham, the team of station adopters has created a museum in a disused room, while the station building at Burnham-on-Crouch is used by local artists. A tourist information office has been created in one of the disused rooms at Lowestoft station.
Jonathan Denby, Greater Anglia’s Head of Corporate Affairs, said: “We’re passionate about the positive role the railway plays in the region and we’re looking forward to strengthening that role by increasing the part our stations can play in supporting local communities.
“Our new community stations scheme will offer up existing space for community use at some stations. This is already happening at some of our stations and we are looking to extend that approach across the network.”
There are three types of space available at various stations:
Event / Exhibition space
At 20 of our large stations we have short term, temporary exhibition space available free of charge for non-profit making organisations. The size and nature of the spaces vary by location. Stations include Billericay, Bishop’s Stortford, Broxbourne, Cambridge, Cambridge North, Chelmsford, Clacton-on-Sea, Colchester, Ely, Great Yarmouth, Harlow, Hertford East, Hockley, Ipswich, Manningtree, Norwich, Rayleigh, Shenfield, Southend Victoria, Stowmarket and Wickford.
Small Community space
We also have some small individual properties available to lease to companies on a not for profit basis. Most of these would need some remedial work doing to them. Stations include Acle, Attleborough, Cressing, Great Chesterford, Great Yarmouth, Harling Road, Harlow Mill, Lowestoft, Newport, Prittlewell, Roydon, Shippea Hill, St Margarets, Stowmarket, Walton-on-the-Naze, White Notley and Worstead.
Large Community space
We have some large station houses needing more substantial investment, available on a lease basis. Stations include Bury St Edmunds, Lakenheath and Thetford.
Anyone who is interested should visit https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/about-us/community-space