A PIECE of Torfaen’s railway history will be moved to England following approval of the application by Torfaen council’s cabinet on Tuesday.

The Victorian-built Griffithstown railway station, which closed in 1962, was purchased by the Dean Forest Railway Company to be re-used on their heritage railway in Gloucestershire - part of a £20,000 proposal from the group.

The plan was originally approved by the cabinet in 2012, on the proviso that the building would remain used for railway purposes.

The site formerly held the Griffithstown Railway Museum, which closed in 2011 due to financial constraints after opening nine years before.

Historians and railway aficionados had lobbied Torfaen council to preserve the station due to historical importance, requesting that Cadw grant the building with listed status.

The decision returned to the cabinet after a delay following a dispute with the prospective buyer, in which time, a rival bid for a café was submitted to the council.

Torfaen’s asset and disposal manager, Victor Mbvundula, said that the café application would only purchase part of the land, before recommending the original plan.

“There is another party that has made an offer to buy the building and retain it on site, but will only buy part of the land,” he said.

“The relocation is in line with the original aspiration of the cabinet and the proposed use is residential and a location that is in the local development plan for housing.”

The station is in the Panteg ward, and two of the cabinet members – councillors Anthony Hunt and David Yeowell – represent this area in Torfaen.

The pair spoke during the meeting over the cabinet’s decision, before members endorsed the plan to demolish the building and move it to Gloucestershire.

Cllr Hunt said: “There’s a need to stop the whole area, the whole strip of land, becoming an eyesore.

“On the one hand, it would have been good to see the building used in the community. On the other hand, it’s good to see the building be used for railway purposes.”

Cllr Yeowell emphasised the difficult decision placed on the councillors to accept this recommendation, stating the rival café bid contained many positives.

He said: “I think it is a service that could be developed into something quite meaningful, particularly with the development of south Sebastopol already underway.”

Both Panteg ward councillors agreed that the council should investigate the possibility of working with the café applicant to bring this development to reality.

Mr Mbvundula ended by adding that efforts were made to retain the building in Torfaen or Wales, but no viable offers were received aside from the café proposal.