Plans to renovate an important historic building in Romsey have received an overwhelming public backing after a successful consultation was held over the weekend.

Over 150 people attended Romsey Town Hall to have their say on the latest projections for the Station's Master's House in Station Approach, a Grade II listed building which is the focus of a major revamp to bring forward a community use for the derelict structure.

Representatives from design firm ep projects and charity Three Rivers Community Rail Partnership, the bodies spearheading the campaign, were there to talk residents through the proposed design and listen to suggested uses for the new format, which could include a cafe on the ground floor complete with a sunken outside seating area and a partially external glass elevator to create access to four 'flexible spaces' on the second floor.

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The projections were also largely focused on retaining and adding to the building's heritage and character - traditional double glazed windows have been earmarked for the current boarded-up frames, while a new sign which details a silhouette of the first passenger train and steam locomotive, named 'Eclipse', to arrive at Romsey station on March 1, 1847, has additionally been suggested.

Hampshire Chronicle: A projected view of the external cafe area and the front of the building (picture/ep projects)

Steve Lees, who formerly worked on planning policy for Test Valley Borough Council for around 30 years, was one of many residents who attended the consultation, which took place on Friday and Saturday (February 11-12).

He said the council had previously made various fruitless attempts to to find a future for the Station Master's House, but insisted he liked what he saw from the fresh proposals.

"There were many attempts from the council during my time there to try and find a future for the building, but the way the rail industry operated made it difficult to find a viable use," he said.

"Romsey was one of the first railway stations to open in the country and this is of course a listed building, so you have the issue of changing the building without losing its character, and many proposals didn't do that. But from what I've seen today, they (ep projects and CRP) have done a very good job. The lift is a novel way to improve access while keeping the current aesthetic and it makes it available to the whole community, which is exactly what the building should be about.

"I think this needs to happen - you can get to large cities like Cardiff and Bristol from Romsey which makes it pretty unique in a sense, and the starting point for that journey is a tired building which is a great shame."

Of a total 158 people who attended the exhibition over the 2 days, 71 per cent filled out a supporting questionnaire, with 100 per cent of respondents saying they supported the project.

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Up to 90 per cent of those people felt the building should be put to community use, while another 45 said they would like to be involved in the scheme in some form or another as it progresses.

Some of the early suggestions from members of the public included a museum, while a bike rental store has also been mentioned as a possible use for the development.

Gary Wilburn, managing director of ep projects, said he was "delighted" with the response the initial plans received, and says the next step is to continue to liaise with the community to further the plans and raise the necessary funds to continue progress.

He said: “The Three Rivers Community Rail Partnership and ep projects were delighted to welcome over 150 visitors to our consultation at Romsey Town Hall. Comments and support for the regeneration of the Masters House were overwhelmingly positive and we now look forward to working with the community to further develop the detailed proposals and raise funds to deliver the project.”

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