The Talyllyn railway has been making progress with their NLHF Project Development.

Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the railway had a mid-term review with the National Lottery in August, which was satisfactory, and development plans progressed further.

Since then, the Talyllyn Railway has been contemplating whether to seek planning permission for its Orchard site, following a response from pre-planning advice which came back from the council.

They recommended that a number of additional surveys would need to be undertaken before requesting full planning permission for this particular site.

The railway has stated that the additional costs required to develop the Orchard site could pose a financial risk to the railway.

Due to this decision, buildings initially designated for the Orchard site will need to be moved.

The development plans for the remainder of the Pendre site, which include the new engineering workshop and visitor centre, will proceed as planned.

Similarly, the transformation of ‘Trefri’ into volunteer accommodation will continue, although this is also dependent upon obtaining planning permission.

Despite this setback, the railway has several routes available to peruse. After determining the optimal arrangement and location for these buildings and spaces, the railway will advance them to RIBA Stage 3. This will enable the Talyllyn Railway to apply for the lottery for the project’s delivery phase in spring 2025.