A FORMER engine shed with links to the historic incline railway in Calstock has been given the go-ahead to be converted into holiday accommodation.

Cornwall Council has granted conditional listed building consent for the conversion of the Grade II listed building at The Incline, The Butts.

The application was submitted by Mike Beer and proposes turning the former industrial building into a holiday accommodation unit, with an extension and replacement boundary fence also forming part of the wider scheme.

The engine shed dates from around 1872, when the railway was taken over by the East Cornwall Mineral Railway. The incline railway was originally built in 1860 by the Tamar Coal, Manure and Mercantile Company and operated until 1908.

According to documents submitted, the building has subsequently been used for various storage purposes, most recently as a store for a commercial haulage company.

The applicants said the site had suffered neglect under previous ownership and the proposals were designed to provide a viable future use while protecting the remaining historic structures associated with the former railway.

Initial plans considered placing all accommodation within the existing shed, but the design team decided to retain the building’s original volume and keep its roof trusses exposed. A modest extension will instead accommodate two bedrooms, a bathroom, entrance hall, utility area and cloakroom.

The extension will be set back from the main façade and feature rubble stone, black vertical cladding and a standing-seam metal roof, designed to complement the site’s industrial character.

The existing loading doors will be repaired and retained, while new windows and doors will be introduced where appropriate.

Before work begins, the applicants must provide details including a full schedule of repairs, internal and external finishes, structural work, joinery and proposed slatework.

The council has also required confirmation existing windows are beyond repair before they can be replaced.