Plans have been submitted for a new signal box at a popular Wokingham Without leisure centre.
Pinewood Miniature Railway Club has applied to replace, and increase the size of, its existing signal box.
Documents submitted to Wokingham Borough Council said: “The current signal box is showing signs of ‘wear and tear’, and a new signal box would not only make a more sound building, but its expansion will allow more than one person to be in the box at the same time.
“This is beneficial from the point of view of allowing easier training of new signal persons, but will also allow someone to work alongside a signal person from an additional safety point of view.
“The new signal box will also provide additional storage for equipment that can be used in the signal box, which is held in other locations.
“The aim, when building the signal box, is to use a minimal amount of new materials, but source good second hand materials thereby reducing the ‘carbon footprint.”
In pre-application advice, the club was told that even though the new structure will be 2.5 times the current building, the proposal would be appropriate in size and scale, therefore not harming the character of the area.
Furthermore, it is set back significantly from the road and would not be visible from the public realm.
The plans have already been backed by Wokingham Without Parish Council.
The consultation remains open until October 3.
For more information search planning application 242229 on Wokingham Borough Council’s planning portal.
