A railway station in the south of the island could be set for an exciting new future as a toy museum and cafe.

Haven Homes has applied (19/01117/GB ) to convert the station and detached goods shed building to provide the museum, tea room and office accommodation with associated parking.

The railway station was deemed surplus to requirements and much of it has been unused for some time and is said to be in a poor condition.

Originally constructed as a wooden structure in 1874, the existing building was built in 1898 using predominantly red brick.

Haven’s proposal would see the front of the station (the platform side) retain its function as a waiting area with toilets and would also see the introduction of a cafe to the Douglas end of the platform.

The windows on the front of the Douglas end of the building would be ’sympathetically restored’ by removing the more modern brickwork which has covered it up in recent years and would provide more natural light to the cafe.

A passenger waiting area would be retained on the Port Erin side of the building with a lobby in the centre providing access to both the seating and the museum.

The museum would be at the rear of the building and Haven said in its application it would be for both toys and transport displays including models.

The proposed layout on the application is for the central part of the building to be used for the toy and exhibition space with the room to the Port Erin end of the building being used for displaying models.

Haven also proposes that the first floor and accompanying goods shed would be used for office space with a large boardroom on the first floor of the station building.

A key part of Haven’s plans is the re-establishment of the external aesthetics of the building.

Visitors

The application said: ’Those elements thought to have been added in 1979 are considered particularly jarring due to the use of modern brick and therefore detrimental to the building’s otherwise coherent appearance.’

It is anticipated by Haven that the museum would be open from 9am to 4pm with the plan for this to be six days a week.

This would be ’subject to the popularity of the attraction following its opening to the public’ with consideration also given to the effect of seasonal change on visitor numbers.

The cafe opening times would be ’coincidental’ to the opening times of the museum and the railway. And the offices would likely be in use 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

As the railway station is a registered building, the application is also subject to application (19/01118/CON).

Port St Mary’s station and its neighbour in Port Erin were registered in 2018 because of their historical interest and being ’fine examples of railway architecture’.