Dawlish News

The battle to save an historic signal box from demolition has been won. A planning inspector has ruled that Network Rail cannot knock down the redundant box on Dawlish Station. The company claimed the listed structure needed major renovations at great cost, but railway enthusiasts argued it should be preserved and another use found for it. In her summary the inspector, Jennifer Armstrong, states she has borne in mind government advice that buildings from the past are to be valued and protected for their own sake. "They are part of our cultural heritage and our sense of national identity. "There should be a presumption in favour of conservation of listed buildings, except where a convincing case can be made out for alteration or demolition." The box was built in 1917 for the GWR and has a distinctive design that is narrower at the bottom, to allow passengers to walk past on the confined platform.