Brewery tap could open at listed railway station

A brewery has lodged plans to create a taproom selling local beers at a listed railway station.

Darkland Brewery's plans would require it to use part of a waiting room at Hebden Bridge Station to create a cold store.

The brewery, which is based outside Halifax, has applied for listed building consent for the conversion to Calderdale Council.

The application states that Northern, which operates the Grade II-listed station, has already given its approval for the change.

The brewery team stated they have developed a plan for the vacant unit with two primary objectives, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Those are designing a taproom that "respects and complements" the station's historic features, and ensuring the operation is viable and sustainable, justifying a long-term commitment.

Darkland, established in 2018, said the cold store would be to the east of the proposed two bar rooms and for security reasons a portion of the waiting room would need to be partitioned off to house it.

But a large part of the room would remain available for use by the travelling public, the plans state.

In a supporting statement, Darkland said the plans would include offering six to eight hand-pulled cask beers and guest selections from local microbreweries.

"To achieve this and maintain the highest quality and freshness, we require a large cold room located as close to the bar as possible."

They further explained: "To present these beers at their best, they must be rested and vented near the beer engines (hand-pull pumps) to minimise the distance the beer travels during dispensing.

"Given these requirements, creating a cold storage area within part of the waiting room would provide the optimal environment for the beers to flourish."

It would mean a small hole being cut into the wall between the waiting room and bar for pipework but would be reversible if the bar ceased to operate.

"Whilst the introduction of partitioning into the current waiting room would have an impact on that space, it would not really impact upon the external appearance of the listed building," they state.

The station dates back to the 1890s and retains much of its original information signage.

No date has been set for a decision on the application.

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