The Colne Valley Railway has been saved.

The Colne Valley Railway Preservation Society has been given the option to buy the land where the railway is currently situated, in Yeldham Road, Castle Hedingham.

The landowner, Christopher Young, has also agreed to grant a one year extension of the railway’s lease, which was due to run out at the end of the year.

This gives the railway one year to secure its bid for £1.65million worth of funding from the Heritage Lottery so it can afford to buy the site.

Mr Young, an Australian businessman, had previously told the railway that it needed to be off the site by the end of the year.

In January, the Heritage Lottery Funding gave the railway £66,000 to draw up improvement plans.

It agreed to give £1.65million to the society if it likes the plans under stage two of the bid.

The money will be used to buy the site and also to build two new buildings - an interpretation centre and a skills centre.

The society will hear in March if its application has been successful.

 

**Read more in today's Halstead Gazette