£3m visitor centres hopes for disused Peak District station

At the moment the Millers Dale station buildings are owned by the Peak District National Park Authority, which took over the site after the former railway route closed in 1967.

Now the authority is proposing to lease the 19th-century station buildings to the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, providing the trust can get planning permission and the funding of 2-3m it needs to transform the site into a visitor centre and cafe.

The new centre would offer information about the wildlife and cultural heritage of the Monsal Trail, and would also be a focal point for the 2.25m Pedal Peak District project, which aims to reopen tunnels along the trail to create a cycleway between Buxton and Bakewell.

It would aim to appeal to the walkers, cyclists, horse-riders and nature watchers who currently use the Monsal Trail, rather than attracting new motorists to that part of the White Peak.

The marketing resource development manager at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Jane Proctor, said: "The renovation would put the life back into these old buildings and provide an important resource for all those visiting the beautiful White Peak area.

"It's such a fascinating site, which once had four railway lines plus lots of quarrying activity. But at the minute, other than using the public toilets on the site, there is very little to do there."

The next stage of the development, Ms Proctor said, would be a meeting with the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) in July this year. Following that, the wildlife trust could then apply to the HLF for a development grant. If all goes to plan, work could begin on site within the next two to three years.

She said: "It's a fantastic area and a fantastic site. If we can get a visitor centre that shows people how brilliant the area is, that would be great.

"The station building itself just needs renovating and bringing up to scratch, with lots of TLC. We're also hoping to replace part of the canopy over the platform and put in environmentally-friendly features such as solar panels, to make the site as sustainable as possible.

"The engine sheds need much more structural work, however."

At present the station buildings are used by the Peak District National Park Authority as a ranger centre and countryside maintenance workshop but, with inadequate funds for improvement, some buildings are now in very poor condition.If the conversion goes ahead, the rangers would stay in the building, working with officers from the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.

The wildlife trust already owns the adjoining wildlife reserves of Priestcliffe Lees and Chee Dale. It has also leased the nearby disused Millers Dale Quarry for several years, improving its biodiversity and involving volunteers in conservation.

The services committee chairman at the Peak District National Park Authority, Andrew Marchington, said: "We believe a partnership between ourselves and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust offers the best chance of investment in facilities that will greatly enhance people's experience of the beautiful Wye Valley.

"The Wildlife Trust has long experience of managing sensitive sites and improving conservation, recreation, biodiversity, heritage and people's understanding.

"Provided they can get the right funding and planning permission, we

see this as the best way forward in the interests of the national park and the people who visit, live and work here."